LIVING LIBRARY PROJECT Mahboubeh (Ala) Hojjati

LIVING LIBRARY
PROJECT
Mahboubeh (Ala) Hojjati
A 25 years old Iranian-Canadian. Grew up in Tehran, Iran
for 13 years and the rest in Brampton. Completed my HBSc
in Behaviour, Genetics, and Neurobiology (phew) from UTM,
and MSc of Physiotherapy from UofT St. George in 2014.
Drawn to learning and collaborating with the marginalized
populations. Currently working as a Physiotherapist in the
private sector, and trying to figure out the rest.
Manny Bettencourt
I learned early on in life that if you wanted to succeed you
had only to work hard and seek out opportunities. It was
not easy, but there was always a helping hand if you looked
hard enough and you reach out for it. The opportunities
were not always evident and there was no one looking for
you to hand them to. Take everything as a challenge. When
someone closes a door in front of you take it as a test and
go knock on three more. Sooner or later you will find the
right door, and success will follow.
Tanveer Singh
I learned early on in life that if you wanted to succeed you
had only to work hard and seek out opportunities. It was
not easy, but there was always a helping hand if you looked
hard enough and you reach out for it. The opportunities
were not always evident and there was no one looking for
you to hand them to. Take everything as a challenge. When
someone closes a door in front of you take it as a test and
go knock on three more. Sooner or later you will find the
right door, and success will follow.
LIVING LIBRARY
PROJECT
Ken Derry
When I started university, the idea of becoming a professor
of religion would have seemed as odd to me as the idea of
becoming a circus clown, or President of Bolivia. Taking a
summer course on religion at UTM changed my life. I
changed majors, learned sign language and ballroom
dancing, and moved to Japan. After graduating with my BA
I helped run UofT's study abroad programs and eventually
completed a PhD in religion -- and somehow, to my shock
and delight, I ended up back at UTM!
Lavan Puvan
I started off my UTM journey in the life sciences program
but eventually found myself graduating with a Bachelor of
Commerce due to a series of events and realizations that
altered the course of my initial career path.
Ivana Di Millo
I learned early on in life that if you wanted to succeed you
had only to work hard and seek out opportunities. It was
not easy, but there was always a helping hand if you looked
hard enough and you reach out for it. The opportunities
were not always evident and there was no one looking for
you to hand them to. Take everything as a challenge. When
someone closes a door in front of you take it as a test and
go knock on three more. Sooner or later you will find the
right door, and success will follow.
Janice Shek
I am a dynamic accounting graduate, turned Recruiter. My
passion for helping individuals and vast accounting
knowledge, allows me to help staff a variety of companies
within Canada. I am involved with full cycle recruitment for
a variety of roles on a day to day basis.
LIVING LIBRARY
PROJECT
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson is a passionate young leader who
has a desire to empower others and give back to the
community. Professionally Chris works in Relations
Management and has had the privilege of traveling across
Canada to build and strengthen client relations through
mentorship and sales management. Ultimately Chris
prioritizes community development and enjoys giving back
with the hopes of inspiring others and empowering them
throughout their life journey.
Vigen Nazarian
I came to Canada to find my path to higher education. My
journey has been very rewarding as I have found through
education, confidence, friends & opportunities that
benefited me and the others. I consider myself very lucky &
hope to walk on this path for a long time. There is more to
discover!
Carolina Salcedo
Carolina immigrated to Canada from Colombia when she
was 11 years old. Passionate about communications,
education and culture, she set her sights on the world of
postsecondary communications upon graduating from UTM
and completing a postgrad ceretificate in PR at Sheridan
College. She is currently a communications jack-of-all
trades at Sheridan College’s Undergraduate Research
office.
LIVING LIBRARY
PROJECT
Demetra Dimokopoulos
Cancer. Job loss. Relocation abroad. The last two years led
to changes in my life and different perspectives. Moving to
Denmark exposed me to a new culture, a new language,
and a new mindset. Now with my MBA, I’m ready for my
leadership journey and the adventures that await me.
Ricardo Vazquez
I am a UI/UX Designer at Mozilla, a Teacher at Sheridan
College, and a Rower all over Ontario. I'm interested in
culture, design, aesthetic, wit, reality, existence, history,
education, thought, and the relentless happiness of
pursuit. I’d love to chat about any of the above.
Karen Kwan Anderson
I am an immigration lawyer who advocates for clients in
hearings before the Federal Court and Immigration &
Refugee Board of Canada. As a child of immigrants, I
appreciate the struggles faced by new families to Canada.
When I make submissions to Citizenship and Immigration
Canada, I refer to international human rights laws and the
principles of fairness and justice.
LIVING LIBRARY
PROJECT
Camille Simardone
I was convinced that I wanted to become an accountant...
until I took my first accounting class. Struggling to find
what I truly enjoyed, I discovered Economics and Residence
Life. Now, I’m completing a Masters in Economics and
searching for a job where I can use my knowledge to help
others.
Renee Willmon
By day, Renee uses cutting-edge technology to determine
how the 3D analysis of ancient skeletons can help us
understand diseases that continue to affect human health
in the present day. By night, she investigates unsolved cold
cases, working alongside police and coroners on cases
involving human remains and clandestine graves.