From asylum seeker to successful citizen: Ella
Six years ago, Ella S.* and her family had good a life in another country. Political events forced her to leave, and she came to Canada.
“I had to leave my kids, my life, my husband,” says Ella, 40, whose three children and husband did not have visas. “I had no language skills that allowed me to do something for my own life. No money. I [didn’t] even know how to shop or how to use the bus.”
Ella was a teacher with 11 years’ experience and a master’s degree in her home country, but in Canada she took on a job as a cleaner. She first went to Toronto before heading for Ottawa, where living was cheaper. After studying English for academic purposes at Algonquin College, she went on to complete a three-year advanced business administration diploma and, in August 2021, she received her graduate certificate in project management.
Ella now has a job in business intelligence at the Canada Revenue Agency, which she credits to a coop term she completed there and an open-minded manager.
She is grateful to the donor who funded the bursary she received, which she says greatly contributed to her success and motivation.
“I feel that I owe them to pay back with my success and with my future service in Canada,” she says. “They are investing in my study; they support me to be successful in my study and after graduation.”
Bursaries help students focus by removing the stress of trying to figure out how to pay for essentials, like rent, food, clothing and school supplies, and relieving the pressure of needing multiple jobs, says Ella. She adds that bursaries, whatever their amount, also say, “You are not alone. We are here to support you.”
Ella was able to buy the computer she needed for her courses with her bursary, freeing her from having to make the trip to the library to work on a public computer. The pandemic made having her own computer essential.
Today, Ella’s life is busy and full. She has a job she loves, her family, including a fourth child and two cats, by her side, and she’s made it her mission to help others. She helps refugees and immigrants in her neighbourhood complete their college applications, apply for OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program), and apply for bursaries, what she calls “investing in their future.” She’s especially passionate about helping women.
“I know how they feel,” she says. “They are struggling financially and socially, and this gives me an opportunity to show that life can work if you see the positive side and find some support. It shows women that they can come here with nothing, and they can establish a life.”
*Name changed to protect her identity.
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