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Student Success Stories
Name: Erica Meus-Saunders Country of Origin: Bahamas School: Nova Scotia Community College Program: Diploma in Screen Arts Study and Stay TM Programs: Stay in Nova Scotia Cohort 2016-2017
Erica Meus-Saunders moved to Nova Scotia from the Bahamas five years ago to follow a dream. Erica graduated from Nova Scotia Community College with a diploma in Screen Arts in June 2017, and is an alumnus of the first cohort of Atlantic Canada Study and Stay™ in Nova Scotia (2016-2017). Since that time, she has taken an active part in the film community in various roles and organizations, producing several short films. Her latest film, The Dreamers, was featured at the Halifax Black Film Festival.
An entrepreneur with a background in writing, Erica has written two books: Shiloh: City of Dreams and A Day in the Sun and ran the woman’s magazine—Nu Woman Magazine. She recently started an online platform, Story-book Entertainment Inc. It features short films and written pieces, artists interviews, immigrant stories, performance pieces with a focus on events unique to Nova Scotia.
Erica currently works at Screen Nova Scotia as the Membership Coordinator. Her passion is everything film; she is excited to add her unique experiences, build her skills, connect and assist in any capacity she can. Check out Erica’s work here.
Name: Moussa Gueye Country of Origin: Senegal School: Université Sainte-Anne Program: Bachelor of Education Study and Stay TM Programs: Atlantic Canada Study and Stay TM -Nova Scotia Cohort 2018-2019
My name is Moussa Gueye, and I am from the Republic of Senegal. It has been five years that I’ve been living in Canada—I studied for four years at the University of Sainte-Anne to finish obtaining my degree. In my last year of university, I was eligible to participate in the Study and Stay™ program, which helps international students that wish to stay in Nova Scotia once they graduate. I enjoyed this program due to its cultural diversity (something that is very important to me). It was a great occasion for me to meet with many other international students from different parts of the world.
I’ve gained many experiences with this program, and it also gave me the resources and tools that I needed to launch my professional career. I had a mentor that followed me throughout this journey and taught me how to perform well in interviews, redact a resumé, network, and many other things.
As an international student, I did not regret participating in the Student and Stay™ program since it taught me so many things. I thank all of the student community with whom I shared precious moments during our encounters.
Name: Ossein Sharma Country of Origin: India School: Cape Breton University Program: Post-Degree Diploma on BET (Electronics and Controls) Study and Stay TM Programs: Atlantic Canada Study and Stay TM - Nova Scotia Cohort 2019-2020
Ossein Sharma, originally from India, graduated from Cape Breton University with a Post-Degree Diploma in BET (Electronics and Controls) in May 2020. When looking for places to study, he came across the opportunity to move to Sydney, Nova Scotia, to pursue his international education. “I felt welcome in Nova Scotia in no time, and I was able to make friends within the first couple of weeks of my arrival”. Ossein was able to connect further with the Cape Breton community by participating in multiple events, allowing him to experience Canadian culture.
The Atlantic Canada Study and Stay TM program has supported his development of skills and connections, allowing him to grow professionally and personally. “I gained a lot from the program when it comes to interpersonal skills—the support that I received from the program coordinator, along with my mentorship experience, led me to understand myself better and what I could improve on” Ossein said.
Ossein Sharma supported CBU students with disabilities and worked as a tutor in the School of Science and Technology. When he was not tutoring, Ossein’s did what he loves most—exploring new places. He has travelled to every single corner of Cape Breton and is now expanding his travels to explore the whole province.
Ossein went on to say, “my mentor is a very positive and welcoming man, he virtually mapped a picture of how one can grow and prosper even in a little town where there is so much potential to excel”.
Being part of the fourth cohort of the Atlantic Canada Study and Stay™ - Nova Scotia Program led him to develop a unique professional connection with his mentor.
Name: Michelle Gooneratne Country of Origin: Sri Lanka School: Saint Mary’s University Program: Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Year of Study: Forth Year, and entering final year in the fall of 2020 Study and Stay TM Programs: Study and Stay TM in Nova Scotia Program Cohort 2019-2020 Michelle Gooneratne’s journey at Saint Mary’s University began when she arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the beginning of 2017. She decided to step out of her comfort zone and push herself to reach her full potential and start a new beginning thousands of miles away from her home country – Sri Lanka.
Currently, she in her 4th year of university and will be entering her final year in September. In the fall of 2020, she will be pursuing her second Co-Op work term at the HR Business Partner team at Emera Inc. Michelle believes that this, by far, is her greatest accomplishment for the academic year, as she managed to reach her set goals before the lockdown. During her time at Saint Mary’s University, Michelle was involved both on and off-campus as a SAGA Volunteer and a Job Coach at Autism Nova Scotia. She is very excited to announce that she will be continuing her on-campus involvement for her last academic year as a Project Manager for Options Nova at Enactus Saint Mary’s. Hence, she looks forward to the fall of 2020, as she is thrilled to be working with a great team at Enactus, and volunteering for the community, while pursuing an academic course online, and doing her fall Co-Op at Emera. Michelle is also excited to see what new skills, knowledge and opportunities she will be exposed to be in the “Atlantic Canada Study and Stay™ – Nova Scotia” program.
Michelle expressed that she would not have been able to be where she is in her professional life if it wasn’t for the massive support she received from the “Study and Stay™ in Nova Scotia” program and the team at EduNova. The program has helped her acquire new skills and knowledge and provided her with multiple learning opportunities, making a significant contribution to her professional development. The program has also fostered a great sense of belonging due to the acceptance of multiple cultural backgrounds, which has given her a sense of community. Michelle also said, “I was given the chance to attend multiple networking events, which helped me build a stronger network.” In just one year, Michelle believes that she has accomplished a lot in terms of professional growth and personal growth, due to all the available resources, career advice and support she received from EduNova. EduNova Annual Report 2019 - 2020 22
