Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - May 2009 - Index

fession and they are happy for
her,” Gaind says.
“Like my sister, I want to do
something I love every day,
rather than just show up for
work and put in my time,” she
explains.
Gaind started her marketing
program at Centennial in the
fall of 2007, and spent the first
year immersed in her studies.
She was impressed by the
diversity she saw in her classes.
“Not only were there a lot
of students of different cultural
backgrounds, but what really
surprised me was how many
older students were there
getting their Canadian diploma
so they could find work,” she
recalls. “At 17, I was the youngest
person in class.”
Centennial has one of the
oldest and most diverse student
populations in the province.
Some 56 per cent of Centennial’s
full-time students were
born outside of Canada, and 45
per cent have lived here less
than six years. Two-thirds of
students are 21 years or older,
and 11 per cent are more than
35 years old.
“I’ve had good experiences
with my business teachers. They
treat everyone equally and
they’ve helped me build my
confidence. There’s a good
connection between teachers
and students. By comparison,
my friends in university have no
connection with their professors,”
she says.
After her first year in college,
Gaind began expanding her
horizons by taking on more
work after school.
In addition to the retail sales
job she did to make some
pocket money, she found work
on campus tutoring other
students in business fundamentals
and math.
Keen to keep active, Gaind
also took a job with a promotional
agency, where she got
to put some of her college
education into practice. She
learned first-hand the skills
involved in direct marketing
and telemarketing, and the
strategies behind those outreach
techniques.
“I’m a very creative person,
in addition to being very
curious about things. I would
like to integrate creativity in my
marketing, maybe get into
advertising and broadcasting,”
Gaind says.
Not surprisingly, given her
motivation and zest for learning,
Gaind is fast-tracking her
college program and will
graduate this December. From
there she hopes to land her first
full-time job at a marketing
firm, where she can try out
some of her ideas for a major
client.
“I’m trying to get out there
and do everything I can to
learn,” she says with youthful
exuberance.
Gaind recognizes her college
education is a stepping stone to
greater things.
She plans to go to university
some day, but not until she
knows what she wants and she’s
exhausted her present aspirations
and ideas.
“There’s a really good connection
between college and
wor k.
“I have no regrets coming
here.
“I really do love my experience
at Centennial!”
– MARK T OLJAGIC
Ask us!
For more information
about Centennial College’s
business programs,
visit www.centennialcollege.
ca/ business.