SOPA Client Story
Olayemi Olaleye: A CPA’s Journey
We talked to Olayemi “Yemi” Olaleye, from Nigeria, about how SOPA helped him in his journey to getting his CPA accreditation in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Yemi first landed in Canada on the 21st of February, 2018 and made his final arrival on the 24th of September, 2018. Let’s read his story: Q. How was your employment…
Read MoreQ&A with Mohamed K. Mahmoud
Mohammed is goal-oriented information technologist and seasoned business analyst professional with a litany of professional trainings to credit. He has 13+ years of impressive track record in handling high-end IT projects as well as providing demos, software solutions and presentations to major reputed entities. We asked him about his experiences with the SOPA program. How…
Read MoreSOPA Q&A with Miracle Edohasim
We asked Miracle Edohasim to answer some questions about SOPA and share some insight on his priorities and expectations for his arrival in Canada. Q. Can you tell us about your background? A. My name is Miracle Edohasim. I arrived in Atlantic Canada in April of 2018 from Nigeria. Q. Can you describe your employment…
Read MoreKeshav Kumar – from India to bustling Toronto
My name is Keshav Kumar and I flew from India to the bustling city of Toronto in the latter part of January 2018 (apparently the coldest month of the year) to become a permanent resident of Canada. When I first got off at Toronto Pearson International Airport, I was both excited and nervous. I was…
Read MoreBe Proactive, Ask Questions, Stay Positive and Never Give Up
“I feel because I wanted to integrate into Canadian society and get a job in my field, I armed myself with a lot of resources while in Nigeria and upon arrival in Canada. The key is to be proactive, ask questions and stay positive and never give up. It’s not going to be easy the…
Read MoreYelena Petrukhina: From Kazakhstan to Winnipeg
Yelena Petrukhina registered for the SOPA program in February 2018. Back in Kazakhstan she worked as an Internship Coordinator at a local university. She arrived in Winnipeg, MB in May 2018 and 3 months later she landed her dream job! Yulia Savchuk, Yelena’s JSS Facilitator: “Yelena was one of those dedicated SOPA participants that took…
Read MoreInformation Makes All the Difference
An excited Philip Akpoesiri Mike-Ifeta moved to Edmonton, Canada, with his family on December 21st, 2017. In Nigeria, he had worked in the banking and financial services industry and had developed extensive experience in retail, small business, insurance, pension, asset management and customer service. His decision to move to Canada was stirred by a desire…
Read MoreDestination Canada: My SOPA Story
After just few months of waiting, we had our long-desired passport request email and we were advised by IRCC to go through with some pre-arrival sessions. Honestly, we attended sessions of few organizations, but SOPA was the best among all. SOPA has a very structured process, outstandingly helpful facilitators and amazing online resources.
Read MoreExperience of a Lifetime
Carla Mariano, an IT professional from Brazil, was over the moon with excitement when she received the email informing her that her application to immigrate to Canada had been approved. However, leaving the relative comforts of the familiar for a destination fraught with many uncertainties was a truly daunting experience.
Read MoreZongmeng Li: Preparing For The New Journey
I love the opportunity to meet our clients in person, it is the absolute best part of my job as a facilitator with SOPA. When we travelled to Saskatoon in May, I spent the afternoon getting to know Zongmeng better. Zongmeng Li completed all 5 SOPA courses and is an enthusiastic ambassador for the program.…
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