Elma is an international student at Langara College from Hong Kong. She started in the Langara English for Academic Preparation (LEAP) program and is now a student in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) diploma program. Elma wanted to experience change and she wanted to further develop herself. After researching different college programs, she found Langara to be a suitable option. In the beginning Elma was struggling to speak English and to adapt to the Canadian environment. “At times when I would talk with my classmates, I’d use a lot of body language because I don’t know how to express myself in English.”

She completed two years in the LEAP program and became competent enough to speak English in front of her classmates and with other people surrounding her. In addition, she was successful in meeting the English language requirements for admission to the ECE program.

Elma wants to be an educator with children. Her instructor has helped her understand that being an educator is more than teaching, it’s not just about practical skills and theoretical knowledge but it is also about taking responsibility and understanding children’s upbringing, development, and behaviour.

Volunteering at orientation sessions and with the campus tour program provided opportunities for more personal growth and development.

“Volunteering at orientation sessions helped me develop my interpersonal and communication skills.” Students and faculty have guided her throughout her journey and she is on a path to certification and becoming the teacher she has dreamed to be. “If you are coming abroad with a clear goal in your mind and want to achieve something, you shouldn’t keep it to yourself. You need to follow your goals no matter how difficult they may be.”

Emily came to Canada as an international student from China to join the Langara English for Academic Preparation (LEAP) program in 2008 and continued in the University Transfer program. She successfully transferred to UBC in 2011 and completed a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2014. While at Langara College she actively volunteered in the International Education Volunteer Program (IEVP) where she developed her skills and personality.

Emily is currently working as an International Student Advisor at a local community college and is now a permanent resident of Canada.

Emily decided to come to Langara College after meeting an advisor and understanding that Langara’s small class sizes, low tuition fees, and supportive student services could help her prepare to transfer to UBC. She had an amazing experience at Langara College in terms of academics, personality development, and professional development to further establish important organizational, leadership, and teamwork skills.

After completing her program, Emily worked at Langara College for four years to gain professional experience and further develop other important skills. This experience helped her successfully reach the position she is working in right now.

Emily volunteered with the IEVP program because she believed in giving back to community and understood the benefits of volunteer experience. She was involved in several committees and participated in numerous events such as i-Café, i-Explore and i-Lunch which developed her communications, leadership, and team skills.

“It was through active participation in the IEVP program that I polished skills in teamwork and student leadership.”

Her advice to students is reach out for help as the community is ready to help you if you ask for it. Never be afraid to ask questions, work hard, and initiate new ideas.

“My experience as an international student at Langara was nothing but positive. Study hard, work hard, play hard.”

Hiroki was introduced to Langara College when attending a Canadian College Fair in Japan. What attracted him to Langara was the college’s successful transfer rate to other universities as Hiroki was aiming to transfer to the University of BC. Through his experience at Langara, he became familiar with Canada’s education environment through meaningful interactions with professors and students on campus. Langara provided Hiroki multiple opportunities to get out of the classroom for personal development as well and make meaningful bonds.

“I feel like Langara has the most opportunities which are not just limited to the classroom, but include volunteering in events on campus. Through these experiences I could create bonds with different groups of people.”

Hiroki was successful in transferring to UBC thanks to engaging classroom experiences and one-on-one sessions with instructors which helped him to maintain a high GPA.

“Generally speaking, I would say classes were quite engaging especially, because of smaller class sizes, I had more opportunity to ask professors questions and professors actually knew me. Those are the things which are quite unique.”

Aside from performing well in academics, Hiroki also developed skills in communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, time management and leadership. By actively engaging in class projects and volunteering at VOLT Volunteer Program Hiroki was able to apply and further develop these skills in real life situations.

Networking is an important aspect of Canadian culture and by volunteering at college activities Hiroki was able to meet and foster deeper connections with students and faculty members. These connections helped him in developing his professional and personal side as well.

Volunteering also helped Hiroki to better understand the local community and he was able to comprehend what sort of challenges were in the local community and how they overcame those problems. By conducting training sessions for new student orientation, he could share his local cultural knowledge with other students, further enhancing his leadership and communication skills.

Hiroki recommends all the international students to actively volunteer at college events.

“I would say do the extracurricular activities for sure. Essentially if you’re international student, it is quite important to get to know the local communities. And it’s a great opportunity for you to enhance your interpersonal skills.”

Hyejin Cho (Jinnie) came to Canada from the Philippines as an international student at Langara College. She joined the Financial Services program in the Langara School of Management and, upon graduation, got employment at TD Canada Trust and is now on a path to become a Financial Advisor. During her journey at Langara she was highly engaged in developing her college community, her network, and social skills, while also fostering lifelong relationships.

Hyejin was searching for college and universities when she came to Canada to continue her studies. What attracted her to Langara College was the friendly International Student Coordinators who understood her personal situation and guided her through course registration.

“I was an international student and I had no idea how the Canadian education system worked. I sat down with one of the international student advisors and I told her about my situation. I felt like I could tell her everything – she was very approachable and helpful with her recommendations.”

Hyejin was actively involved with the College community as a volunteer with the VOLT Volunteer Program and the International Education Volunteer Program (IEVP) program. Through these programs she helped organize many events for students – all of which helped her to build relationships, make good friends, and enhance her communication and social skills.

The instructors and faculty in the Co-op department also helped her develop the soft skills and hard skills that help make connections to find a job in the banking industry. She was the first student to successfully land a job at TD Canada Trust through the Financial Services program.

“I’m very thankful because of Stephanie, who guided me, and all the people I’ve met along the way. Now I have worked for TD and I’m on track to get promoted into a financial advisor position.”

It was not easy for her to communicate in English but, thanks to the classes at Langara College, she improved her English-speaking ability as well. “I was always nervous. I had anxiety speaking in a large group of people.” Some of her courses also helped her gain confidence while making group or individual presentations and her classes and volunteering helped her overcome anxiety and nervousness in a fun-way. All of this made her quite outgoing and social which is a major requirement in her job as well.

Hyejin advises all international students to grab all the opportunities coming their way and to not be afraid of anything. Instead be willing to put yourself in situations which makes you uncomfortable because that is where you will grow and develop yourself.

“Don’t be scared because college is where you’re supposed to make mistakes for you to learn. There are always going to be people who are willing to help you – you just have to open up yourself and you’ll find someone who will change your life.”

Jaechun Choi (Ted) was an international student from South Korea at Langara College. Jaechun enrolled in the Langara English for Academic Preparation (LEAP) program in 2016 and enrolled in the Sauder School of Business at UBC in 2018. His journey at Langara was a roller coaster ride where he developed himself both personally and professionally.

Jaechun could not speak a lot of English and had many questions regarding academics, transfer, and admission – all of which were answered by the advisors at Langara College. Jaechun adapted to the environment of Vancouver in no time. He was a proactive student with a desire to learn new things and Langara helped him gain confidence.

The Faculty at Langara College takes care of students from the get-go by providing personal attention to the students and displaying a friendly and open-minded attitude. All of this helps them to understand students’ needs and to guide them to reach their career and academic goals.

Jaechun was a founding member of the Korean club and, despite facing numerous setbacks and problems, he was able to handle all the difficult situations and conduct events which led to the success of the Korean Club.

Jaechun wanted to be a business analyst and for that he needed excellent communication skills so that he could communicate information in a simple and effective manner.

“My English courses at Langara helped me learn how to explain my ideas systematically through an essay or through verbal communication.”

It wasn’t only faculty but also fellow students that were really supportive. They helped him in achieving his academics goals by providing him emotional support.

“I used to struggle to write essays because of no experience and it took me a whole day to write just two paragraphs. Instructor office hours and open-minded fellow students saved me from giving up. They gave the emotional support for me to keep developing myself.”

His advice to the fellow students is that one needs to immerse themselves in the College and enjoy the journey. All of the campus, faculties, and classmates are there to help you out and reach your goals.

Langara’s Supply Chain and Logistics Post-Degree Diploma (PDD) program gave me the base I needed to start my career in supply chain with confidence. With a background in engineering, I was glad the program covered a variety of key topics like purchasing, inventory, accounting, negotiation, and planning. It provided me with the building blocks to develop my supply chain career. The practicum was essential because it allowed me to improve my skills, put into practice what I have learned, and show my strengths. This experience led to a permanent position in the company which ultimately launched my career in Canada. Nowadays, when I am planning my factory production, I can clearly remember the MRP (Material Requirements Planning) classes. It is really fulfilling to apply what I have learned and use it to grow my career.

While considering international schools for her post-secondary education, Josie was looking for an institution centrally located in a major city that allowed outdoor sports and adventures. She was also looking for a college program that would transfer to university. Langara College offered the university transfer program, beautiful location, and affordable tuition to help her make a decision.

As a student she was an active volunteer contributing her time at various events including as a student panelist at the International Student Orientation and being a special events coordinator at Langara College organizing i-Lunch and i-Sport events. All these experiences helped her enhance her social skills.

Josie was a successful student who won several awards including the Glass Health Science scholarship and an entrance scholarship to attend Simon Fraser University (SFU). She had the opportunity to assist international students and provide them education guidance at Langara College while working as an International Student Ambassador. “I was also an internationals student who initially faced a lot of difficulties, yet I was able to succeed academically due to the boundless support of Langara College.”

She recommends that all students, especially Vietnamese students, participate more in College activities to foster stronger relationships and expand their social circle because this helps to develop emotional intelligence. “The more interaction and conversation that students encounter, the more they understand different perspectives and cultures.”

Josie is currently working at a public research university.

Nestor Brito was an international student from Venezuela who completed his Engineering transfer program at Langara College. Nestor was specifically looking for a college which could help him in transferring engineering credits to university and Langara was the one which could help him with his goal. In his own words:

“Even though I was not in Canada, I got personalized treatment and guidance from the Langara Representative which made me choose this college.”

Nestor started his engineering journey from scratch at Langara College. During his studies he faced many problems related to his subjects but these were successfully addressed by his professors who gave him personalized attention.

Nestor even helped his instructor with an ongoing project and his research on the project was also published with the help of his professor. From this came the opportunity to present his work to a group of engineers as well.

Being able to interact with fellow students on a regular basis helped Nestor improve his English-speaking ability and to develop his interpersonal skills as well, which is an important part of Canadian Culture.

Nestor volunteered with Tetra Society – a not-for-profit organization that provides volunteer engineers across Canada and the US to design and construct custom assistive devices for people with disabilities. Nestor designed cupholders for people who cannot hold a cup normally. He developed the idea and generated 3D print models for it as well at Langara’s Makerspace. Here he got the chance to understand the whole process of operating design machines and was able to develop the specialized cups. He is proud of his work with the Tetra Society as he was able to make a positive impact.

His advice to international students is to reach out to Langara Global as there are officers and managers who helped him throughout his journey including his registration, academics, and even with his living situation. “Try to network more with everyone as there are people all over that want to help you in every way possible.”

Eric joined Langara College because of its high university transfer rate and well-structured academic curriculm which prepared him for his further studies at UBC. Eric enrolled in the Langara English for Academic Preparation (LEAP) program where he was really impressed by veteran instructors and their teaching methodology.

“I was just amazed by the passion and enthusiasm the teachers showed me. Starting with LEAP, helping me with my English, Langara College and its amazingly professional professors and passionate peers strongly motivated me to push myself an extra step on my academic path.”

Eric was aiming for UBC but it was not an easy journey for him – Eric couldn’t speak English and was not aware about the concept of teaching Canadian culture, as well. All of his problems were resolved at Langara College. Besides the linguistic aspect, the teaching methodology and academic structure aided him to transfer to UBC.

“In general, all the courses in Langara were eminently academic and well-designed, but very easy to follow at the same time, which greatly helped me to transfer to UBC.”

Eric also added diversity to the college community. Eric was one of the founding members of Korean Club at Langara College where Korean students were able to foster new relationships based on their cultural origin and ethnicity. It also helped students in Langara College to learn and experience Korean culture. Korean culture awareness was promoted through events such as cultural events, food culture, K-pop and K-drama.

Faculty members at Langara College provided him guidance as well. After classes Eric would reach out to instructors asking for advice on how to reach UBC. Instructors provided him warm but realistic pieces of advice which helped pave his way to the doors of UBC.

Eric advises students to be more open, reach out to people, and be willing to learn every day. Langara provides a lot of opportunity and resources to connect to people and develop oneself.

“A Korean international student who had suffered in doubt and regret every night, has now found himself studying in UBC in his 5th year, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Asian Studies, and being offered scholarships and opportunities in exchange programs.”

Eric doubted himself everyday but with his efforts, determination, and consistency, he was able to overcome his challenges and reach his goals.

Shadi was an international student from Iran who started in the LEAP program before completing the PDD Business Administration program. She is currently working as a Marketing Specialist.

Her journey from a new international student in Canada to a successful professional involved self-growth, continuous learning, and determination. She joined Langara College’s LEAP program and, due to her good performance, she was offered a seat at in the PDD Business Administration program. While she was studying, she developed her communications skills and abilities to work in team. Also, she adapted to the Canadian lifestyle and methods of teaching – a big challenge for an international student.

“I was an international student. So, it was for hard me to adapt to Canadian culture, Canadian lives, and even the Canadian format of studying.”

Besides her classes, Shadi also attended workshops at the library, such as student success workshops and resume workshops, which groomed her for the job market at Canada. Shadi was also an active volunteer and always contributed towards the development of the community. She volunteered in the International Education Volunteer Program (IEVP) where she found multiple opportunities to volunteer on- and off-campus. This gave her plenty of chances to develop collaboration skills and improve her proficiency in English.

“So, besides education, student success workshops and volunteering opportunities happening at Langara helped me build my personality and improve my communication style and my language. Nowadays I feel more comfortable and confident speaking English because it’s not my first language and I’m not a native English speaker.”

Education at Langara focuses on active engagement and Shadi had her fair share of them – she experienced countless group projects, assignments, and essays, and it helped hone her teamwork, communication, leadership, and innovation skills. These transferable skills helped her in landing her a dream job as well.

While she was volunteering for IEVP she experienced cultural festivals, attain culture knowledge which improved her interculture knowledge and awareness and her understanding Canadian culture.

Shadi’s advice to all the international students is to be active in the community, keep searching for opportunities, and to look for information on the College website – every resource is available there for your growth and development.

“Just make yourself comfortable participating at the campus. And don’t forget about the volunteer opportunities because probably you are the same as me and this will assist you in reaching your potential.”

Curtis completed diplomas in Marketing Management and Professional Photography at Langara College – both of which helped him acquire necessary skills to lead him to his role as Partnership Specialist at a successful tech startup, NiceJob Inc.

Curtis graduated from high school in Winnipeg, MB and wanted to move to pursue his post-secondary education on the west coast. With a passion for photography and film work, Chris applied to Langara College for the photography program. During his studies he learned the traditional aspects of photography, worked at one of the premiere photo labs in Vancouver, and in his co-op program travelled to Montreal to work as a fashion photographer. Curtis also had a knack for volunteering and contributed his time as a photographer for gleaner newspaper and for on-going campus events.

During his photography studies, Curtis saw an opportunity to compliment his photography skills with studies in Marketing Management. Here he learned traditional concepts and strategies of marketing which helped build a solid foundation that he has utilized throughout his career path since.

In 2013 Curtis had a phenomenal opportunity to serve on the Mayor’s Engaged City Task Force, where he provided his insights and ideas on how to make Vancouver more livable city. In this role, he was responsible for developing projects which would increase interactions between different communities and bring everyone closer together.

Curtis loves volunteerism as it helps him to utilize his knowledge, develop more skills, and network with many amazing people.

“Networking creates opportunities to get your foot in the door with new industries, associations, companies or networks – all of which will benefit your career in the long run, helping you find new experiences.

His advice to students is be open to all the opportunities – whether from networking with other people, taking on new projects, or volunteering. “You never know when an interesting job offer may come or when you might find yourself with a group of people or association that you have wanted to be a part of. They are all great opportunities to progress yourself professionally.”

There is no doubt that being a fresh graduate and an immigrant make it hard to secure a job in Canadian job markets, even though you possess experience. I am happy I chose Langara College’s Supply Chain and Logistics program as it is one of the few institutes that offers workplace practicums. The program guides us through all the supply chain related areas, and it helped me stand in a better position in the industry. As a result, I was offered an amazing opportunity from the same company where I did my practicum – even before my graduation! I would like to thank instructors, staff members, and the Supply Chain and Logistics team for finding us great opportunities to start our careers.