Student Spotlight: Tetiana Melnichenko

My name is Tetiana Melnichenko, and I’m originally from Ukraine. I came to Canada with my husband in 2014. I’m currently taking the Civil Technology program after completing the Civil Technician program last year.

I have a university degree, and I’m a certified accountant. I went to university in Ukraine and worked as an accountant for 10 years. When we immigrated to Canada, I realized I wanted to pursue something different. With accounting it’s only numbers; you work so hard but at the end of the day, you can’t see the result of your work. I really wanted something I could see a result at the end of the day or project. That’s why I decided to take the Civil Technician program, which then led me to my current studies in the Civil Technology program. It wasn’t until my practicum placement last summer that I decided to continue into the Civil Technology program.

It’s been a long journey. I moved from Ukraine to Israel with my husband before coming to Canada. Then in 2014, when we immigrated to Canada, we first moved to Thompson, Manitoba. We lived there for two years, and started our family there before moving to Brandon. We really liked Thompson. It was a great place to live, and we have a lot of friends there still. My husband and I love to travel; we’ve enjoyed exploring Canada. Our goal, hopefully in the near future, is to travel to Churchill and get the chance to see the wildlife like polar bears or beluga whales.

I first heard of Assiniboine through some friends. They knew I was looking at continuing my education and recommended the college as they had enjoyed their time here. I knew I wanted to attend Assiniboine, so I started to explore the programs offered at the college and when I had the opportunity to attend one of the information sessions, I knew the Civil Technician program was for me.

My instructors and classmates are amazing. The instructors are very knowledgeable and are able to share a lot of their experiences in the field. They’re always there to help us and take the extra time to answer any questions we have. As for the classes and courses themselves, it’s very hands-on, and I enjoy the ‘learn by doing’ approach to things.

During my time at Assiniboine I’ve been a volunteer and host for the Spend a Day program, and this year I was hired as a peer tutor to help other students with a few courses in my program. It’s been such a great experience. It’s challenging because my course load is very heavy, but it has also been a very rewarding experience.

After graduation, my end goal would be to pursue a career as a project manager, but I haven’t put too much thought into yet. A lot can change, especially during these crazy times, and I’m just excited to see where my education and journey take me.