Canada’s 10 Most Influential Educational Leaders, 2019

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CANADA’S MOST

INFLUENTIAL INFL L EDUCATIONAL L LEADERS 2019

Din Awad President

Piloting a Dynamic Multitude towards Professional Excellence

From the

EDITOR The Torch that Guides Your Path

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earning is a journey we have to go through each day of your life. It has the utmost importance in our school days. Our professors, teachers bestow us with the knowledge that will help us to elevate our studies, gain knowledge about the different aspects of the subjects and will help us to perform our duties to become better citizens and contribute to our society.

But school isn’t just about learning, it's about bonding with different people, it's a place to learn about relationships, to learn about the hardship, a place which provides us with the insights of the world where imagination is being nurtured, ideas are being taken care of. It’s a temple, a place of wisdom, a place of sincerity, a place of innocence and a place that not only helps us to become a better citizen but a place that acknowledges and helps to become the individual who we are meant to be.

School is the birthplace of everything we want to become. It is the place that gives us the platform to

explore the infinite world in a single place. School is a place that enlightens us, a place that allows us to see the different sides of ourselves; a place of freedom, passion, and a place of a new beginning.

What adds to the importance of schools is the presence of one or many profound educational leaders. It becomes of primal importance for an educational institution to posses an individual that pays attention to every little detail, and every little effort that is put in shaping the future of young intellectuals.

To consider this opportunity as one’s duty towards their call to educate the future generations, is in itself a task of nobility. Thus, we at The Knowledge Review, in our endeavor to discover such individuals of profound caliber, have come across this list of educational leaders from Canada, who strive each day to inculcate skills and knowledge into their respective pupil and ultimately, augment the value of education. T R

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ContentS

Cover ver Story Piloting ting a Dynamic Multitude towards Professional Excellence

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Leader Of The Month

Fd Gni

Empowering Learners, Sculpting Professionals

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Alvin Law

A Beacon of Inspiration the World Needs

22 Caroline Gray

Chitra Bhatia

Marina Marin Garvey

A New Face for Behavioural Learning

An Ardent Educationist transforming Education with Innovation

Openning The Doors Of Global Opportunities

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Article

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40 THE ESSENCE OF

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Contemporary Educational Leadership

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here is no denying the power of education. It makes us knowledgeable, helps us to acquire skills to start our careers, and prepares us to become a person who can deliver value to the human society. However, the traditional education system seems to be falling behind. It is not able to match the intricacies and is also unable to fill a certain gap between knowledge and employability. To this, Contemporary Education is the answer.

Contemporary Education is the way of educating students with more emphasis on experiences within and outside of the classrooms, and prepares them with the skills that are required in the modern world, i.e. leadership, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

Contemporary Education asserts a huge impact on our society. The students in a classroom are being stimulated with fascinating thoughts and can experience what it feels like to actually solve the problem via computing applications such as Augmented Reality(AR), Virtual Reality(VR) etc. The inclusion of technology for bridging the gap between education and skill-set that makes students employable, is one of the foundations of Contemporary Education.

Contemporary Education is helping to enhance the skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, communication skills and paving the path of better individuals who are better prepared for continuous learning, coordinating with others and making our society prosperous.

Individuals with a modern educational outlook, being on leadership positions pertaining to the discipline of education are responsible for contributing towards the further advancement and development of contemporary education. Their upbeat and reformative ideologies on education essentially contain the potential to revolutionize education, if and when put to correct use. Hence, we present to you, Canada’s 10 Most Influential Educational Leaders, 2019.

Featuring on our cover, is Din Awad, the President of Evergreen College.

Mr. Awad, being from a family of educators, learned the importance of education at a very young age, and expresses gratitude for the same. His academic background is in Information Technology, and he started his education career by working for IBM’s Training Department.

These experiences were what made him understand the importance of job-ready skills and how to implement them into a career-based education that helped to establish Evergreen College, which prepares students with the right career knowledge and skills.

This edition also features, Fadi Ganni, the Founder and Chairman of Morgan International, as the Influential Leader of the Month.

The features list further exhibits contributions from Alwin Law, a Keynote Speaker and a bestselling author; Caroline Gray, the Chairperson of the Canadian Training Institute (CTI); Chitra Bhatia, the Founder of Study Abroad Xperts Education Inc. and Chitra & Associates Immigration Consultants Inc.; Alex Khadempour, the Managing Director of CICS Immigration Consulting Inc. and Immigration Law Faculty Member of Ashton College; and also Marina Garvey, the General manager and Immigration Consultant at Marcus Educate. T R

Piloting a Dynamic Multitude towards Professional Excellence To educate is to empower, and with empowerment comes a revolution.

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o every 21st century individual, education is an evident source of empowerment in their strife to lead a purposeful life. An enhanced quality of living, a progressive career, and a holistic development of both, an individual and the society are the aspects that education caters to and delivers. However, the torch of education, held in the right hands, magnifies this empowerment and guides its seekers on the right path. With the motive of bringing into spotlight, the torch bearers, the guides and the sculptors of the world’s future leaders, we at The Knowledge Review, introduce to you Canada’s 10 Most Influential Educational Leaders, 2019. Featuring on our cover story is one of the aforesaid torch-bearers, Mr. Din Awad, the President of Evergreen College.

COVER STORY

Mr. Awad, being from a family of educators, learned the importance of education at a very young age, and expresses gratitude for the same. His academic background is in Information Technology, and he started his education career by working for IBM’s Training Department. He worked in education development in many public and private sectors in several countries. These experiences were what made him understand the importance of

Din Awad President

job-ready skills and how to implement them into a career-based education that helped to establish Evergreen College, which prepares students with the right career knowledge and skills.

am regarded as someone that people can come to for educational advice and it is so inspiring to have guided the successes of so many people,” he adds.

The Catalyst to Excellence

He believes strongly in the importance of skills training along with academic education. He states that employers are seeking talent with both knowledge and competency in their sector. His objective is, and has always been, to develop different programs that will prepare students for employment, and to select a faculty of industry professionals to provide education from an employment perspective.

Mr. Awad says that he struggled a lot with trying to fit into the workforce of a foreign country. He experienced this when he immigrated to Canada. Today, as President of Evergreen College, he seeks to help new Canadians and international students to overcome some of the hurdles they may face.

“I believe that working hard since I arrived in Canada until I became the president of the most prestigious career college in Canada is my major achievement,” says Mr. Awad.

He also adds that being asked about what he achieved and what Evergreen College represents is a huge achievement so far, and he thinks looking at the small details is what makes the difference. “In my circle, I

Emphasizing upon the vital aspects of the institution led by Mr. Awad, Evergreen College delivers career programs for a diverse population of students. It believes that every student, regardless of background and life experiences, deserves the benefit of post-secondary education. The college’s mission is to prepare every graduate with the theory, competencies and job skills that lead to a successful career. Evergreen College aims at helping students and others realize that their background and life experiences make them who they are, make their professional/educational profile unique from one another, and make them stand out in the Canadian society. “We want to have more creative and unique personas out there in Canada and the world, with/from a Canadian education,” says Mr. Awad.

Before entering into one of Evergreen’s applied programs, students are provided with an Academic Preparation Course to help them transition into student life in Canada.

This unique course delivers and assesses the benchmarks of the students’ career and personal success.

The college is creating a community of professionals that are individually striving and within a team, too. It listens to what the student needs and where they want to go. The college makes them realize their potential and is constantly upgrading the way to support and reach a student on educational levels. Its Professors are also trained to constantly be on the lookout for students who are academically perfect but need extra support from different aspects of life.

In addition, Evergreen’s programs include an internship for students to apply their classroom knowledge with an employer in their chosen sector. The college fully supports students in sourcing a placement that is the right fit, and it is frequently sought out by employers when seeking talent. One of Evergreen’s achievements is how it also makes sure to never forget the staff; it makes sure they have a meaningful experience when working with the college.

This reflects on the students when one works with passionate individuals, and the college is sure to spread this to the students and encourage it. By working closely with their professors, its students are able to experience what it is like to work with fellow staff members in their chosen field. This can be seen most in the healthcare programs where students work with their professors who were previously

medical professionals. The college also tries use organic tools, which means it uses minimal tools or those that are self-created to guide the students so that they can make the most of any situation and learn to self-create.

Efficiently Adapting to Change Mr. Awad, when asked about Canada’s educational framework, states, “We are fortunate to have a thriving and experienced educational industry to deliver to the world and further enhance our job market.” He adds that Canada’s culture is rooted in kindness and sharing, and this translates into the educational sector by helping individuals to grow as they pass through the country’s education system.

At Evergreen College, Mr. Awad and his team strives to deliver this experience for international students by providing them with life lessons from the college’s educated and experienced professors. “We want to see the Canadian educational system working together, no institute is too small or too big to fit into this future Canadian goal,” Mr. Awad expresses. He is of the opinion that one of the most important contributors in causing a revolution in the current landscape of Canada’s educational sector is the younger generations and the youth. According to him, they are the ones who will change how things work because of what they have learned. The newest group of contributors would be Generation Z; they are taking the elder generation into a new time to be alive, the future! One can see how technology affects this generation, their interactions and how they do things.

Evergreen College’s business model shifts to support the group, in ways like targeting them in an online presence, catering to mental health and all the initiatives one might see other big universities focus on. The college is looking into analyzing what’s going on, how can it better guide these students, since they are sometimes referred to as ‘the lost’ generation and since some of them don’t know what they want

to achieve. Thus it is always ready to tackle these things once it can and once it has done research on it.

Being a Beacon of Inspiration Pursuing further education, according to Mr. Awad, is both difficult and rewarding. He says that his students each bring their own history to their studies, and their goals may differ widely. It takes passionate professors to inspire every single student to be their best self and aim high. Evergreen College’s professors bring real world experience and examples to the classroom, to make their lectures come alive. Students learn by instructor-led practical training with someone who has actually done the job and knows what success looks like.

Professors are dedicated to guiding each student to achieve their dreams, by supporting challenges and celebrating successes.

“Each student is a future building figure, and they have unique offerings. I think they inspire me most because we each have individual traits that contribute to our own set of competencies in this world,” Mr. Awad emphasizes. He also states, “We can work as the human body; different organs, different functions, and skills to offer, but we make it all work and grow together in the end.”

A Progressive Workplace Evergreen College fosters a supportive, transparent, collaborative multicultural team environment. Employees are encouraged to own their role and contribute to the student experience. Its practice of continuous quality improvement ensures that professors maintain educational excellence and the reputation of the college.

Evergreen College is what is represented to the students as an organizational experience throughout their study, and it shows them the best version possible.

It also employs a lot of its students on campus to put what they learn in the classroom to use. This experience combined with their classroom skills is what will help them to succeed in the workforce. It even does working interviews with staff to see if they are what they say and see if this is the person the college needs on its team, a team that includes the students.

Opening More Doors of Opportunities As the proprietor of a Canadian college, Mr. Awad is acutely aware of the privilege of studying in Canada. He opines that this country provides boundless opportunities for educated professionals. In his advice to the future leaders and intellectuals of the country, he says, “Education is never wasted; it is transferable and portable, and credentials have life-long value, wherever in the world they are acquired. Never, ever stop learning.”

He is also of the opinion that as the employment landscape changes, education must adapt. It has been widely reported that employers are increasingly seeking skilled talent in the 21st century. Since Evergreen College is committed to embracing technology and innovation, new programs in information technology, healthcare and business will position its graduates to become future leaders. “By building new campuses in Canada and beyond, we will reach a broad student base, delivering outstanding career training and changing lives one graduate at a time,” states Mr. Awad. T R

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Leader Of The Month

Fadi Ganni

Founder & Chairman

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EMPOWERING LEARNERS, SCULPTING PROFESSIONALS

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n an everlasting quest to attain expertise, profundity and a prominent career, we often disregard the gravity of the fact that a prolonged acceptance towards ceaseless learning is a necessity.

Comprehending this necessity will not only pave our way towards a significant professional life, but will also enhance our otherwise limited knowledge, along with complementing our employability in the global market. When it comes to the question of how we could leverage these offerings, Fadi Ganni, the Founder and Chairman of Morgan International, is possibly the most apt person to talk to.

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Fadi founded Morgan International in the year 1995, the muses of which, were a prolonged commute time to attend his U.S Certified Public Accountant (CPA) classes, and the concerning scarcity of professional certification courses due to which so many students from the Middle East had to travel all the way to the US. In 1997, Fadi became Group CEO and to this day, is responsible for managing and directing the company’s operations across the Middle East, Canada, Europe and India. In addition to his position as Chairman of Morgan International, he is also adviser to and member of various professional

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international associations. Fadi continues to share his expertise to this day with candidates and corporates alike by delivering specialized workshops in the areas of financial accounting, auditing, business law, and taxation as well as preparation courses for professional certification exams.

office was opened in Beirut, Lebanon in 1995 and following the surge in demand for professional education, Morgan quickly opened a second office in Jordan, followed by Egypt, the UAE, India, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia and now has its branches spread out in 32 cities globally.

Delivering Knowledge Globally

In 2001, Morgan International expanded its reach beyond the CPA credential to service the entire accounting and finance profession by adding other credentials to its portfolio.

It now offers over 18 certification programs covering the fields of accounting, finance, human resources, supply chain and logistics, digital

Morgan International was the first training institute to introduce professional certification to the Middle East and 24 years on, is still the sole licensee of Becker Professional Education in the Middle East region, Europe and Canada. After the first

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marketing and retail, including but not limited to the CPA, CFA, CMA, CIA, ACCA, DipIFR, CSCP SHRM-CPSHRM-SCP, CDMP and more. Morgan has become a global leader in professional education, through its international network and delivery of premium educational environment and programs adapted to the needs companies and professionals looking to enhance their careers.

Morgan’s learning experience includes everything from career guidance to flexible, modified and customized learning solutions, expert instruction, full support throughout the client’s journey and plans to launch an international career portal to support its global alumni network. Through its international and online network, Morgan can answer the needs of global companies and mobile working professionals. Throughout its activities, Morgan International continues to adhere and promote its core values centered on empowerment, creativity, integrity and excellence.

With a faculty of over 350 part-time instructors across the globe, all certified and experienced professionals, Morgan believes its instructors are the backbone of the business, and they play an invaluable role in helping candidates achieve their goals. Many of those instructors are actually past Morgan candidates which makes them all the more part of the Morgan family.

Instilling Excellence In addition to fulfilling the training needs of corporates and industry professionals alike, Morgan International believes in the importance of training and equipping its own team with the necessary skills required to maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving environment.

Other than the professional certifications that Morgan’s staff pursues, additional training programs are tailored according to each employee’s needs and weaknesses covering topics related to leadership, networking skills, coaching, client management, effective business communication and other essential topics needed to bring all employees’ skills and knowledge to a higher level.

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Other than Train the Trainer programs, Morgan provides Continuing Professional Education (CPE) workshops to ensure they are constantly up to date and receive the tools required to maintain their credentials, it also facilitates their attendance of international conferences globally so that they stay up to date with the latest developments in their industries.

Surpassing Challenges In his strife to attain entrepreneurial zeniths, like all successful leaders, Fadi too, came across a plethora of challenges. He also emphasizes on the institute’s challenge of forming strategic alliances with organizations and governmental bodies, both locally

and internationally, at a time where professional education was not as widely recognized.

When it comes to maintaining Morgan’s market competency, Fadi constantly caters to the need of adapting to the changing demands and innovatively refreshes the institute’s product line, thus meeting all of the diverse business needs. Fadi also expresses that Morgan and its entire team, takes pride in the partnerships it has formed with a list of leading course providers and associations, as its aim is to deliver only the best preparation courseware to its candidates.

Bequeathing the Keys to Success “Engage in lifelong learning,” is what Fadi advises the future generation of learners and professionals. He believes that the pace at which things are moving, working professionals are likely to find their skill set obsolete in less than five years. “We all have to remain students for as long as we’re working. Furthermore, we have to learn to embrace change; we can no longer expect our career to serve us for the rest of our working lives,” he adds.

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“You are likely to change or shift careers many times, and this does not necessarily mean from one profession to another but changes are happening so rapidly within the same industry, so even as an accountant or HR professional, your job is likely to shift and change many times in the coming few years with the advancement of technology,” Fadi expresses.

He is of the strong opinion that to invest in lifelong education, especially if one is a certified professional, continuing professional education is no longer a plus, it’s a requirement in order to be able to maintain their license to practice or credential in general.

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Foreseeing New Horizons The future is essentially where true leaders and pioneers march towards, with grit, passion and commitment, and without a pinch of hesitation or skepticism over what awaits them at the end of their journey. Similarly, Fadi’s blueprint for a successful future of Morgan International includes expanding to new markets where professional development is a necessity and comparatively not widely available. He also asserts emphasis upon developing strategies to expand Morgan’s reach into new credentials and industries, in order to serve the needs and demands of corporates and professionals alike.

Fadi envisions growing the Live Online study format to ensure fullaccessibility to certification wherever professionals are based and across all markets and adapt to learning behaviors and changing times.

Fadi has a thoroughly designed future plan with an implied emphasis on comprehensive development for Morgan as well as its enrolled professionals globally. He plans to invest in improved training, the latest technological tools, advanced assessment methods, creating transparency and engagement, and ensuring acquisition of the right knowledge to thrive globally. T R

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Alv Alvin Law

Keynote Speaker Bestselling author

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vin Law A Beacon of Inspiration the World Needs

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ow often do we comprehend that life, a mere monosyllabic word, encompasses an unfathomable amount of power, and why this power has been bestowed upon us humans?

Why do we often disregard our purpose, that of walking an extra mile for someone, that of understanding humanity, and that of seeking the true meaning of our lives?

With emphasis on discrimination, why do we often think or consider ourselves as different from each other and thus create barriers on the basis of nationality, religion, creed, appearance and disabilities?

Seldom do we comprehend that this power of life which is mostly used only to create differences and societal divisions, is meant to be diverted towards the purpose of helping each other grow and for inspiring each other to attain and maintain peaceful living.

There are certain people amongst us who have recognized this power and its potential to evidently change our world. They understand how the aforesaid differences and their entailing effects could impact our growth and wellbeing and thus with all their determination, positivity and profound oomph, they strive ceaselessly to make this world, our world, a better place to coexist.

Alvin Law, a Keynote Speaker and a bestselling author, is someone who substantially defines confidence, compassion, motivation and grit. Even though Alvin isn’t a celebrated educator or an academician, The Knowledge Review believes that for his contributions towards empowering students and inspiring them, to reach the world is a necessity.

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With immense gratitude and a little sense of pride, we present to you, Alvin’s story, narrated in his own words.

“My career in education was unplanned. I’m not a certified teacher or administrator and don’t have a Degree, Masters, Ph. D or otherwise any ‘scholastic’ experience in the field. But I have spoken to over 3,500 schools since 1981, primarily in North America but even around the planet and over 2,000,000 students have watched me on stage as a motivational speaker.

My backstory is where my credibility and expertise is based. I was born without arms in 1960 and was one of Canada’s first ‘Thalidomide Babies’, infamous for their birth defects caused by the notorious medication given to pregnant women to combat morning sickness.

Though this use of the drug was banned in 1962, the effects have lived on in the over 20,000 babies deformed worldwide and 125 Canadians were included in this list. In my case, I was also homeless at five days of age as my birth family gave me up being overwhelmed by the perceived challenges my existence would present to them.

But a foster home in small town Saskatchewan took me in and changed the course of my life. Hilda Law was 55 years old and her husband, Jack, was 53 and they would eventually

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become my permanent home. That’s only important because they were also non-academic, and that’s not intended as a ‘slight’ to those who are but they proved every single ‘expert’ wrong in their consistent assessment that I would never experience any quality of life.

My first career as a Broadcaster was short lived because 1981 was declared the International Year of Disabled Persons and I became a popular guest speaker because I was a disc jockey and therefore, media celebrity in Regina, Saskatchewan and began speaking at numerous events to the point where I quit radio and essentially created an educational program for Saskatchewan schools about ‘Disability Awareness’.

I joined the Provincial Easter Seals charity as a community relations director and essentially, entered the Motivational Speaker field, educating society on my take on ‘Ability’ in the body of the handicapped.

I am a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a member of Canada’s Professional Speakers Hall Of Fame, a ‘Fellow’ of the Professional Speakers Association of the United Kingdom, and last year I was also inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall Of Fame. I’m also a world class drummer and trombone player and dabble with piano. I’m also a bestselling author of Alvin’s Laws Of Life.”

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Making a Mark “It’s difficult to define what my most significant contributions to education have been but first off, it’s acknowledged that I’m the most memorable speaker students ever had in their schools, and that goes back almost forty years. But for me, it’s my prophetic vision of diversity and inclusion. When I began public school in 1966, handicapped children weren’t welcome.

I was the first ‘disabled’ student without arms in the history of Yorkton, Saskatchewan schools, the first to attend and graduate from the Diploma Broadcasting Program at Mount Royal College, now MRU in Calgary and literally, the first disc jockey without arms on planet earth! This is not boasting but proof of the living impact of my presence in society.

I’ve also been a major player in the Student Leadership Movement across Canada and the United States, and even Mexico. I realized very early on my programs about Disability Awareness were a perfect foundation for the principles of leadership. I have been Keynote for countless National, State, Provincial and District Leadership Conferences since 1985.

I believe I define ‘Distinction’ because I am literally one of a kind. Every single member of the audience who hears me or reads my book come to a singularly unique conclusion but as a whole, I’m respected for changing the face of disability, or as Goalcast stated, I Change the Label!”

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Bequeathing Wisdom “While people have showed me ‘respect’ for my so called disability, it has produced its own stigma as it often does for the handicapped. It’s as if our physical limitations also cause intellectual ones, which I would argue is the precise opposite.

The brilliance created by a life challenge is not in any textbook so it’s taken me much longer than my speaking peers to reach the top level of the business. I like to paint an image of where many have given me a ‘pat on the head’ for being so courageous to overcome my limitations which is also precisely opposite. I was born ‘normal’ and society has been slow in catching on!

My message to students of the world is simple. You must earn your life! It doesn’t come wrapped like a gift.’ It’s also really hard sometimes, but that’s kind of the point! Growth can be painful but it’s worth it because we only get one life and what we do with it is everything.”

“My personal motivation is rooted in a very simple yet profoundly powerful element named Gratitude. Too many people believe education is a right. They couldn’t be more wrong. Education is a ‘privilege’ and if we could get that correctly, we’d value it much more.

I believe I inspire today’s youth by being an example. Anyone can ‘lecture’ but living one’s words, that’s the key. I do that and not just on stage but every day, all the time. Positive living doesn’t take a vacation!” T R

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Caroline Gray A New Face for Behavioural Learning

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rganizations are known to perform best when a balanced work environment exists within. To this end, the developed world hires skilled personnel who can provide the best of services while keeping the work environment healthy. Such organizations also believe in laying down a set of rules to be followed by everyone employed there. To enhance and transform the careers of the skilled, there exist numerous educational institutions that provide a variety of educational courses.

Caroline Gray, the Chairperson of the Canadian Training Institute (CTI) is today a role model for those who intend to enhance and transform their careers and be recognized in their specific industries. While in her 3rd year in university, she moved from the US to Canada to pursue an education in social and political philosophy. She completed the coursework for a Masters in Philosophy with the assistance of a scholarship.

After leaving academia, she worked as an editor for an educational publisher. Within a few years, she shifted to television as a print supervisor for an educational channel, and gained the opportunity to learn television production in Ryerson University’s diploma program. Working in television, Caroline also discovered the possibilities of using television’s rich visual and storytelling capabilities for presenting and explaining concepts, people and ideas.

• “Excellence in Practice” by ATD, the world’s largest training organization • “Gold Award for Technological Innovation” from Brandon Hall, and • “The CINDY Award” for Media Production During her time with Omega Performance she also wrote articles that were cited or reprinted in various international papers and textbooks on the process of designing and developing online learning, as well as an e-book on eLearning and Performance. She advised on the ISO Standard No. 14915-1, which set the design principles and framework for multimedia user interfaces.

She moved from Omega to KPMG International, as the Head of Global Learning Technology and Performance Measurement. Her task there was the creation of a global learning infrastructure for its internal professional continuing education. This position involved assessing needs, consulting with stakeholders and deploying a variety of standard tools, such as Virtual Classrooms, standard learning evaluations, content management and learning management systems. In her own words, Caroline says, “My job required a strong focus on change management, ranging from convincing senior management of the efficacy of online learning to reskilling large numbers of L&D professionals to master the techniques of online designing

Her area of focus was technology, and with the arrival of the personal computer, she created a number of programs focused on the effect of this revolutionary tool on both the workplace and individuals. “A highpoint of my time in educational television was creating an 8-part educational series on computers that TimeLife bought and then sold internationally,” says Caroline about those times.

She later began her Masters in Education while working for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce as an instructional designer. She then moved to Omega Performance, an international training and consulting firm for the financial sector. Beginning as a Learning Consultant, she spent 14 years with the company, eventually becoming the SVP of Technology-Based Learning for the company.

There she used her television experience to create simulations for immersive learning, using task-based scenarios and recognizable characters. She also created online programs that accommodated a variety of ways of learning, depending on need and preferred style. These programs were well received and resulted in a number of awards, including:

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and teaching. It was an enormous effort and achievement to put this change in place and was only made possible by the wonderful, dedicated team I worked with to make this happen.”

Today as the chairperson of CTI (www.canadiantraininginstitute.com), she is seen shaping the lives of thousands of individuals through certified courses and services that support safer, healthier organizations and communities. A National Voluntary Organization, CTI also helps government agencies and corporations create safe customer service environments.

both the physical and mental health of line staff is what makes it unique. The concepts of behavioural therapy used in their programs – developing self-sufficient and selfreliant individuals – are key to individuals acquiring a better sense of security and confidence in doing their jobs.

This enables them to serve their clients better.

Providing the best teaching and learning facilities would not be a possibility without CTI’s experienced and qualified staff. Thanks to them and CTI’s holistic curriculum, CTI is among the top training companies offering courses in behaviour-related topics.

Overall Focus of the Organization

Challenges Faced Throughout the Journey

As per Caroline, “CTI’s unerring focus is the development of knowledge, skills and services that reduce social conflict and promote active participation that builds healthy individuals, agencies, workplaces and communities.”

CTI’s focus on the overall culture of “helping” organizations and improving that culture through enhancing

Caroline was attracted to CTI as an organization since her own learning journey had taught her how important the skills of self management and productive conflict management were. Being at the forefront of new technologies and learning designs meant managing a lot of scepticism and lack of knowledge on the part of clients and

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staff. She also had to actively apply self management skills not to succumb to the difficulties involved in moving forward, and to remain an effective leader for her staff.

Another challenge along the way was finding like-minded peers to explore innovation in training. There are fewer opportunities and less appetite for innovation in Canada, compared to the US, and this has meant fewer colleagues with a depth of experience in cutting-edge technologies or learning approaches with whom to collaborate and work.

The most significant challenge she faced in her career however was maintaining a good work-life balance. Being away for work for long periods of time when her two sons were young came with a significant cost to both herself and her family. Fortunately, they were very supportive, and it is only with that support that her own achievements were made possible.

Positivity at the Workplace Caroline believes that an organization runs smoothly only if the staff is happy at the workplace. To make this possible, Caroline has the following steps: • Create a cross-company identity • Acknowledge staff successes

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• Cross-over learning among different programs and training • Internal company events and awards • Provide sustainable employment and benefits • Provide educational opportunities Inspiring Message to the World Caroline says, “We are essentially learning animals.

Learning is triggered by curiosity and need, and it is accomplished through genuine effort. We should think of learning as a part of our lives, just like eating and drinking.

It occurs individual by individual and can be accomplished in many self-directed ways, outside institutions. The more you learn about yourself and the world the happier you will be and the more opportunities you will have in your life.”

Future Goals Caroline, working with CTI’s Executive Director, Duncan Gillespie and CTI’s staff will be expanding their services and programs by delivering various programs online. “We also see expanding the audiences for our programs beyond social service training to corporations, and working with clients further afield than currently, as our marketing and online offerings grow,” says Caroline. T R

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Chitra Bhatia Founder

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Chitra Bhatia An Ardent Educationist transforming Education with Innovation

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dedicated leader in education is one who is driven by the zeal to educate others while ever remaining a passionate learner. One such enthusiastic leader with the zeal to learn, teach and strive for excellence in every activity is none other than Chitra Bhatia, Founder of Study Abroad Xperts Education Inc. and Chitra & Associates Immigration Consultants Inc.

Chitra has worked with renowned entities designing staff development and retention programs for their employees.

In her 7-year tenure, she has seen exponential growth in students taking up online education. The biggest challenge she faced initially was that of getting together the first batch of students. With time though things changed with a quantum increase being witnessed in students undergoing online education as well as the type of programs being made available to them.

An Inspirational Journey Chitra became a part of the Indian education sector while designing programs to train people during the IT boom of the 90s. As the head of the Indraprastha Institute of Technology and Management, she took on the responsibility to design programs that enhanced an individual’s knowledge and scope of work with technical & professional skills much needed to succeed in the Indian technology and management landscape existing then.

What started as a passion to help people transition to a more tech-inclined world soon transformed into a zeal to bring change to education itself using the latest available technology. She accomplished her mission through her role as Senior Director and Business Head while being employed with Hughes Communication, a global telecommunications company that pioneered online education. Chitra was at the forefront of designing and building a digital education solution that was to be used at leading education institutions in India including IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozikode, XLRI to name a few.

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“Being responsible for managing these relationships with premium institutes and ensuring that all their programs were offered with the highest standards, has their own challenges. Not only was the faculty new to the concept, even the students faced challenges as they were used to studying in the traditional brick & mortar classroom style,” says Chitra.

A Proficient Educator Throughout her tenure at Hughes, Chitra received various awards and recognition including the Award for Contribution & Excellence, International Marketing Person of the year, the President Award etc. to name a few. She is of the opinion that online education has now become part of the regular education system and feels proud to have contributed to a revolution where she played a significant role in enhancing the way education is imparted. Meeting successful students motivates her making her realize how education in the right format has contributed to enhancing their career, professional and personal lives.

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“

Once all the three – education, career, and industry are aligned together, can one achieve his/her life’s mission.

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To expand her skill set and assist companies achieve excellence, Chitra pursued her Master’s Degree in Consulting Management from BITS Pilani. Eventually, she became the Country Head of Kelly Services which specializes in IT & Professional recruitment and temping business. She worked in India for the last time as the Country Head & Managing Director of Sanako Oy’s Indian operations where among other highlights, her team transformed the way languages and content are learned using language labs in India. It involved reconstructing the manner of teaching and education to incorporate elements of ICT to improve and personalize learning.

Moving to Canada, Chitra took up the responsibility of a Regional Director heading three career colleges in the Atlantic region which among themselves offered diversified careers in digital arts and health sciencesfields high in demand which called for a passion to pursue to its logical end. She opined that booming industries like digital arts and technology were first choices for some as they could indulge their passion and turn it into a successful career. She emphasized on science being another field which would remain evergreen despite a slowdown in industry. Eventually, she ascended to the role of Director of International Education imparting education to international students.

Career Highlights Having studied the landscape of education and immigration in Canada, Chitra decided to pursue immigration and education consulting. She completed her diploma in Immigration Consulting and became a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC).

Currently, Chitra is a member of organizations such as the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) and Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC).

Under Chitra’s ardent leadership, both companies focus on keeping the client’s needs and future prospects at the core of their practice. It became her passion to help international students choose the best institute that fit their budget as also fulfills their career-related needs.

The company’s goals seem fulfilled when they come across student successful building a bright career. In

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doing so, they focus dedicatedly on making sure that the students get the best institutes besides getting the program of their choice which may help them find employment once they graduate. Going further the companies often assist students in providing reference for their first jobs, reviewing their resumes, guiding them on job searches and becoming their coach and mentor in this new country.

About Study Abroad Xperts Chitra established Study Abroad Xperts in June 2015.

Gaining a better understanding of the education landscape in Canada, she decided on starting a consulting firm that kept the customers’ needs at the core of all actions. In line with its motivation and mission, the company aims to enable students to access education that propels them towards a future they aspire for. The company’s practice built on the pillars of integrity, honesty, and ethics, it envisions an education landscape in Canada where students are able to access the best education for themselves and get relevant, meaningful advice.

The company has partnered with other premium institutions the world over to make this vision a reality.

Its services are designed to ensure it can cater to the long term needs of its clients, including their career and immigration. With detailed knowledge in both education and immigration laws, the company aims to design a student’s journey right from the start of their education, all the way through to integration and settlement in the country. To this end, it provides these services for international students planning to study in Canada or the US, as also Canadian students looking to study in the US. Message for the Future Leaders Marching towards the future, Chitra states, “While it is important to focus on a long-term goal, it is equally important to understand short-term goals. You will not be able to go to the next level without climbing the stairs.

One should focus on both the goals and not leave one of them in isolation. Write your goals and make sure you keep reviewing and revising them as you go”. T R

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THE ESSENCE OF

LEADERSHIP

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or a long time, people have been admiring leaders around the world. Leaders avidly exhibit the ways to achieve goals which seem difficult. There are people who have inborn leadership qualities. Though such people are great at leading others, it is not necessary that they become good leaders. There are a few traits that make a leader desirable and lovable. A person needs to work on a few traits to acquire good leadership qualities.

An abstract definition of leadership could be, ‘the action of leading a group of people or an organization’. The definition provided seems like an easy job but the truth is, it requires more than just ‘action of leading’. It involves the art of perfection in leading others and directing people. It involves making strategies to lead people towards the desired goal. It is a tough process to inspire people as it requires original ideas to motivate others.

The main key to become a leader is communication.

Communication is important in everyone’s life, but as a leader, it is a vital quality. In business, leadership is always linked to a person’s performance. With his/her performance, one should also be excellent at management. The leader should know how to manage the resources and deliver the resources accordingly. They should be good at communicating, inspiring and supervising others. One of the main traits of a leader is of mapping the plan to reach the goal that has been set.

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“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”

– Jim Rohn

A leader possesses few qualities that make him stand out of the crowd, like the ones listed below ➢ Strategic Thinking Thinking is an integral part of us humans. A leader should think differently. His thinking should involve ideas. There should be a vision for everything he thinks. He should know where to set the goal and how to work towards reaching the goal. The leader sees the bigger picture and plans the path accordingly. With a compelling vision, a leader plans a route that is achievable. ➢ Planning and Delivery The most important thing to keep in mind is selfmotivation. One should be self-motivated to lead a crowd. A leader is an organizer, he possesses organization skills and taking the action for planning the road map. He should be skilled in managing the challenges while working on a project. ➢ People Management Managing people involves smart skills in working with others in a group as well as one to one. It is important that the followers are motivated and encouraged by the leader every now and then. Delegation is necessary when it comes to people management. Leaders have to smartly balance workloads and ensure everyone is

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2. Keep Learning: Learning is a never ending process, whether the person is 10 or 80, he cannot know enough. There is no limit for expanding one’s knowledge, grab it from all the resources whenever possible. Really life experiences teach a person how to proceed. Through experience, one can learn many aspects of leadership. It is not necessary that a person learns everything in a classroom actually, he really learns from interacting with people and learning from them.

given equal opportunity to showcase their talent and their skills. The leader has to effectively recruit people as well. ➢ Change Management As it is said, ‘Change is inevitable’, it is a must that a leader is ready to adapt to new possibilities. He should efficiently manage to proceed further with his team with an accepting nature. Communication with the team should be lead to a compelling vision. He should manage to encourage his team to look at the change as an innovation. ➢ Communication The most important trait of a leader is how good he can communicate with others. Communication is a normal thing in every person’s life. A person becomes successful when he listens to others. Not only listens but actively listens and participates in the conversation by regularly giving feedback. He should be able to ask questions that are meaningful. He should possess a high level of assertiveness and deliver effective speaking Ways to Develop Leadership Skills: Leadership qualities might be inborn in a few people, but it is totally possible to inculcate leadership skills by focusing on a few applications. Leadership skills can be acquired with little changes in day to day routine. Here are 5 leadership skills to be a successful leader: 1. Practice Discipline: Being discipline is life is a trait to lead a great life. Leaders need to be disciplined in order to lead others on the correct path and in time. It is easy to start a task but it is difficult to continue it with the same enthusiasm. Practicing how to be discipline will make a huge achievement towards the desired goal of leadership.

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3. Listen: Listening is an amazing trait of a person. He who listens gains more insights into a topic. It develops a sense of trust in the person who is speaking. It makes the leader look more humble and approachable. When the team members know that they are being heard, they naturally will open up and share their ideas without hesitation.

4. Resolve Conflicts: In the workplace, there generally conflicts occur. The problems are mere in front of the goal. The leader should learn to resolve conflicts and yet try not to be discriminative towards any person. The leader should make people understand what is good and what is not.

5. Motivate Others: A leader should constantly keep motivating the team members. He should brainstorm to generate new ideas in the minds of his teammates.

Listening to their ideas and implementing it will keep the teammates engaged in developing interaction with each other and the leader as well.

A leader possesses a few characteristics which make the leader more appealing to the team. Few characteristics that a leader should have are: ➢ Honesty ➢ Delegation ➢ Good Communicator ➢ Confidence ➢ Commitment ➢ Creative and Innovative Thinking ➢ Decision-Making Capabilities ➢ Positive Attitude It isn’t necessary that leadership comes instantly, a person may face many ups and downs while shaping his leadership skills. There will be times that a person might feel like giving up, but it is really important at this time to motivate oneself and make efforts to reach the destination. T R

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Marina Marin Garvey OPENNING THE DOORS OF GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

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anada is one of the top countries that provide world-class educational programs. Numerous students from various countries come to Canada to pursue their educational endeavours and lead a successful life.

The one reason that the students choose Canada for education is its low tuition fees and aordable living expenses. Most of the universities and colleges in Canada are under government

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administration, thus ensuring the best quality is provided to each individual. Depending on the course and the program, the tuition fees differ. Many students are eligible to receive a scholarship that is provided by the government or the university and the colleges.

The immigration process in this student-friendly country is of high standards and requirements for the same vary according to the program or course that a student chooses.

The lifestyle of Canada is different depending on the geographical area and the climatic conditions are dependent on the same. Students need some time to get accustomed to the change in the climate.

People usually have inadequate knowledge about the immigration process and end up confused during the process of visa applications and interviews.

To clear the hassle and make the process swift, Marina Garvey the General manager and Immigration Consultant at Marcus Educate commenced providing consultation to students willing to pursue their higher studies in Canada while helping them in the immigration process. Marina along with her husband, Victor Garvey, the President of Business Development Department at Marcus, made their dream successful collaboratively.

Marina had also gone through the immigration process when she and her husband decided to move to Canada with their family; she knew how difficult the process could get.“When we finalized the decision of immigrating to Canada, the biggest challenge for me was to discover ‘what do I need to do?’ ‘who am I anyway?’ & ‘what am I capable of?’ To be honest, it took me around 2 years to figure out the road where to find answers to these questions; I am still in the process today,” she expresses.

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Marina moved to Canada when she was 29 years old and had completed her Master’s Degree in Education and Psychology in Ukraine. After moving to Canada she was able to fluently communicate in English.

Later she completed her post-graduate Human Resources Management course and started her career as an educational agent in Canada. In 2011, she helped 8 Ukrainian students to immigrate to Canada and cleared their path for a successful career.

“Today, they are successful citizens of Canada, enjoying their life in the country, with an input to Canadian economy and cultures!” Marina exclaims.

After realizing that she needed to get a license to fulfill the requirements in the immigration and education field, she decided to go to college again and finished her diploma in 8 months. She prepared for the exam and excelled in it in the year 2016.

Since then she is a recognized RCIC regulated Canadian immigration consultant. She has been providing consultations to many students from all around the globe and enabling them to experience the life that one dreams of.

Making her Way to Top According to Marina, the most important aspect concerning the development of an educational agency is the business model.

Here, she keeps a

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keen eye on every detail and individual needs of every single student is taken into account.

There are a lot of formalities that have to be looked upon during the immigration process.

To be at the top, she also constantly stays in touch with other Canadian consultants, visit educational seminars and progress in her work field. ‘Never stop learning’ is her life motto.

Checking the educational qualification, choosing the appropriate university or colleges depending on the student’s requirements, etc are some major points to be taken care of. Her team has always been a great support in all the ups and downs that the company has faced.

The vision of her company consists of helping every young person find their path, discover their talents and potential in Canada and the rest of the world. Her company’s development is based on providing a high-quality service for her students who want to immigrate to Canada. As the consultation has various branches all around the world, many students can take advantage of this opportunity.

“I am very grateful to have such a hard-working and dedicated team. We understand each other, help one another – and we are a true team! Being the “head” of everything – always respect and be kind to your employees.

Be the best example you can be and people will want to work with you!” Marina expresses .

Marcus Educate provides various services which include:

Staying Motivated

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Secondary education Admission and Visa packages English Language Courses Work in Canada and Work Permits Immigration services PGWP & Express Entry

Overcoming the Adversities Being a non-native person, it was indeed a difficult road for Marina to achieve the position at which she is now. After immense struggle, she began to learn English at the age of 30 and she managed to keep up with the level of English that was required for a consultant in Canada.

She says, “It took me a while to learn how to handle everything at the same time, literally everything: family, friends, business... Step by step I learned how to manage my time, combining being a wife, mom and a CEO all at the same time.” Marina believes that most of the immigrants have to go through some or the other problems and hence, she is now helping students settle in Canada.

Marina believes that every single person is special in some way. Every individual is capable of achieving a lot of unknown potentials. It is just that they have not tested themself and are still to discover the capabilities he possesses, and that it takes courage to come out of the comfort zone and actually do something great. She suggests, “Personally, I would recommend to slowly push those boundaries, without any abrupt movements.”

The Future Pathway As the company is still striving continuously for development, Marina says there is a lot to achieve in the coming years. Expanding the company to different countries and providing free consultation to some extent is the upcoming goal of Marina and her team. She wants to help out people and ease the process of immigration.

“One of my dreams and goals is to be able to grow to the level where I am going to be able to grant talented students who have low incomes with scholarships so that they have an opportunity to reach their full potential here in Canada,” she concludes. T R

A Dedicated Team Running immigration and educational consultancy is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires teamwork and dedication.

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