At Anderson College, we are constantly amazed by the courage of our students, faculty, and staff. In December 2021 we ran a “My Courageous Moment” story-gathering campaign to celebrate our students, their strength, the moments that have defined their lives and the people who have motivated them to overcome and succeed.
In sharing our stories, we realize we are not alone and are often inspired to recognize, or to find, our own extraordinary courage. We hope the following story moves you, as it has our Anderson family.
My name is Irina, I’m from Russia and arrived in Canada with my four children in May 2017. I have 17 years of experience working as an accountant. At that time, I had very limited English to communicate with others. I had waited a long time to get the results of my application to the Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations (H&C) program. When I received my permanent residency (PR), it was the happiest moment of my life.
“I started looking for other career options that would give me joy – something that I had not tried before.”
When I started to settle in, I started to reflect on my life aspirations, and asking myself questions like, “Who am I now? Who am I for myself? For the kids?”. In this country, that I had moved to, I didn’t want to continue working as an accountant. Therefore, I started looking for other career options that would give me joy – something that I had not tried before.
A lady I volunteered with at that time advised me about the Medical Esthetician program at Anderson College. She gave me information about the program, the profession, and the team of teachers who worked at the college. I experienced a series of events all around the same time, including, my enrolment at the college, lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ending my relationship with an abusive partner. I am a mother of four amazing boys and they are my inspiration for making the changes needed in my life.
“Anderson College taught me to work as a team, and if I decide to study further, I will definitely study here.”
I have handled all the hardships that have come my way since the beginning of school. New, totally different students and instructors from different places of the world, different cultures and different languages; having experienced all this is amazing. I am so happy that I could become part of their lives as they became my family. Anderson College taught me to work as a team, and if I decide to study further, I will definitely study here. I really do not know if my story represents a courageous moment or not, but my children say that I am a real hero for them.
If you’re reading my story, I’d like to say that: if I could do it, you can do it too! Nothing is impossible if you wish for it and have faith. Also, believe in yourself!
Irina K.
Would you like to see if this program may be a fit for your interests and passions? Take 4 mins and complete our “Medical Esthetician Career Discovery Quiz”.
To learn more about our Medical Esthetician program or our 30+ leading-edge programs to help you take life to the next level of success, book a virtual appointment with our Admissions Team today!
