Alejandro Quiceno joined the Immigrant Centre’s Employment Services team as a practicum student from the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology’s Business Administration program. By the end of his placement, he had completed 174 hours of volunteer time, and made a good impression for his work ethic and positive attitude.  

Alejandro shares how he learned about the Immigrant Centre, and why he chose to volunteer here for his practicum.

How did you hear about the Immigrant Centre (IC)?

I heard about the Immigrant Centre during the first weeks that I arrived in Canada. My parents and I needed to certify some documents from our home country, so we started to investigate who could help us with that, and that’s how we found the IC. We walked in and the people from the Language Bank treated us incredibly. Since that day, I have always remembered the place.

Why did you decide to volunteer/intern at IC?

I decided to volunteer at the Immigrant Centre because I like to help people, meet others from different countries/cultures, and improve my personal skills. When my professor at MITT gave me the option to volunteer at IC I said yes immediately, because I remembered my good experience when I first arrived in Canada.

What was your practicum/volunteer experience like at IC?

My experience at IC was incredible. I do not have words to express how much I enjoyed and learned from the people around me. Since the first day, I felt like everyone was with me, giving me a hand, teaching me how I can improve in my area of study, and also to improve my skills.

What was the most interesting thing that you learned about the IC?

The most interesting thing I learned about the IC was the fact that you can help someone from the time they arrive in Canada, until that person gets citizenship. I feel that the Centre cares a lot about clients, and really enjoys changing and improving people’s lives.