“Don’t give up in the middle. The climb is difficult, but the view is great.”
That was just one of the life lessons Ingrid de Eloi Tenorio learned during her move to Vancouver from São Paulo, Brazil in search of a fresh start to both her life and her career.
While the 30 year old brought with her a bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering and work experience in logistics from back home, she knew when she arrived in Canada she wanted to be on a different path.
“I decided to continue my studies after I started working at Vancouver Convention Center as an office assistant and aspired to higher positions within the company,” explained Tenorio, who was recently named valedictorian of the Class of 2022 graduating class of Yorkville University’s Bachelor of Business Administration – Project Management program in British Columbia.
Tenorio recently sat down to reflect on her time at Yorkville University and her plans for the future. Here’s what she had to say:
What made you decide to pursue your studies in Business Administration – Project Management?
I decided to pursue my studies in Project Management, because I had already studied a little about projects in Brazil and liked the subject. As I already wanted to improve my field when I came to Canada, I decided to take a risk in Project Management and to apply my theoretical knowledge into reality in enterprises.
What brought you to Yorkville University? Where were you in your life/career when you decided to continue your studies with us?
I decided to continue my studies after I started working at Vancouver Convention Center as an office assistant and aspired to higher positions within the company. I analyzed my options at the time and Yorkville was the one that best fit my profile and complemented the college degree I earned in Brazil.
What is the most important thing you’re taking away from your studies at Yorkville University?
The most significant thing I learned at Yorkville was how to better manage my time in the face of a pandemic to juggle work, personal life, and college. Furthermore, the engagement and didactics of some professors made me enjoy courses that I previously didn’t have interest in.
What are your plans after graduation, both immediate and long term?
My immediate plans after graduation are to get work in the project sector and obtain my PMI certification in order to pursue a career in that field. In the long term, my goals are to obtain permanent residency in Canada and to be able to financially secure myself in order to pursue personal goals such as becoming a mother.
If you offered one piece of advice to an incoming student, what would that be?
My advice to an incoming student would be to take every opportunity that comes along the way, because your classmate of today could end up your co-worker of tomorrow. So, respect other people’s perspectives as much as possible and do your best, because the term work only becomes increasingly intense. Don’t give up in the middle. The climb is difficult, but the view is great.
