Carolina Macias, Airport Operations

Carolina is originally from Mexico with a Master’s in Manufacturing Business Management. She believes there are no shortcuts in life, just smarter and mindful ways of doing things, and being humble to learn from mistakes.  She had the opportunity to work as an Admin Assistant at MOSAIC; this work provided much meaning in life and taught her that compassion, support, and team effort will break even the toughest barriers. The bursary helped her partially pay tuition for a 2 year diploma program in Airport Operations at BCIT. She’s also working at YVR with Coast Industrial Maintenance.

Maryam Salehizade, Computer equipment

Maryam is a Paralympics athlete with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports management from Iran. A member of the Canadian national women’s Goalball team, Maryam is also a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion. Born with vision impairment, she has first-hand experience and understanding of the social barriers faced by people with disabilities.
The bursary enabled Maryam to buy a laptop equipped with JAWS software. Now she is attending computer classes at Vancouver Community College while also training for a world championship in Portugal coming in December. The computer training will increase her chances of getting meaningful employment.

ZG, Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist by profession and a full-time busy mom of two children, ZG arrived in Canada over 5 years ago with her family. She had to start working part-time as a Kinesiologist. She experienced language barrier and had to pass English language proficiency test (IELTS) to qualify for the physiotherapy licensing exam in Canada. She is also a dedicated advocate for inclusion and disability rights.