"Canada is a safe and convenient country with a variety of cultures,” said Kanwalpreet Singh, who completed a two-year postgraduate degree in international business at Northern College in Ontario. He graduated in August 2021, and now works as an assistant team lead after coming up through the ranks of more junior positions in the Toronto restaurant business.
Born in the state of Haryana in north India, Kanwalpreet offers several reasons for coming to Canada as an international student in January 2020. But his main reason was to pursue better career opportunities and personal growth.
It was also the first time he had left India.
In his first three months at Northern College, Kanwalpreet met new people and socialized a lot. But, when COVID restrictions moved everything online, his connections began to thin out. So, he did his best to make life work and stay social by volunteering as a campus ambassador for guard.me International Insurance.
“This was a great experience. We attended virtual summits, and I became interactive with people through social media. I like helping people, and that's why I chose this role because we communicate with other students, make constant connections and build networks. It develops your confidence to be around new people and new cultures, which teaches you how to handle diverse situations and be adaptable.”
He had heard a lot of positive news about Canada and Canadians before enrolling at Northern College.
“Canada was according to my expectations, and people have been very friendly to me. Everyone helps each other out here, and I'm really attracted to this way of life. The working opportunities are also great. If a person has the calibre to succeed, they can get great opportunities.”
He is currently focused on permanent residency and hopes to enrol for an MBA once he has gained more experience in business management. His family in India has been really supportive of his decision to study as an international student, as well as his plans to settle in Canada and build a life. His elder brother and sister completed their studies back home and plan to stay on home soil.
“I hadn’t even imagined coming to Canada, but my family has so much faith in me, pushed me to go, and did everything to help and encourage me.” The former campus ambassador said that despite having guard.me health insurance for the entire time he was an international student, he never had to use it.
“I have never been ill in Canada,” he said with a smile. “But I had all the knowledge about how to use everything if I needed to, and always try to manage my health well.”
He completed his Bachelor of Business Administration at Chandigarh University, and describes this as the best university in north India where he had an incredible experience as a student.
“The curriculum in Canada is also really good and adds up to something special. I’m not just repeating knowledge I already have.”
Kanwalpreet’s only experience of international travel has been to Canada, but he’s making up for this by exploring the Great White North. He has already visited Western Canada and plans to see more of the country when COVID travel restrictions relax a bit more. For now, though, he has been enjoying living and exploring Canada’s largest city.
“Being from a particular religion, I have found many people with the same or similar background as me in Canada. This has offered me a huge sense of security. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, there is no discrimination here.”
