ApplyBoard’s International Alumni of Impact (IAOI) program, launched for the first time in 2023. This program celebrates former international students who studied in Canada and have gone on to make a positive impact in the world.
The program winners include teachers, entrepreneurs, and government officials. They started out as students coming to Canada from countries like Bangladesh, Guatemala, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Now, they’re making a difference in their own communities and paving the way for the next generation of leaders.
Read on to learn more about all 10 of our winners and their incredible journeys.
Want to know what it’s like to study abroad? Read about Raveena or Kasun’s international student journey on our blog.
Announcing the International Alumni of Impact Winners
We’re thrilled to announce this year’s IAOI winners:
- Anjo Colago, Philippines, Coast Mountain College, 2021
- Asif Hossain, Bangladesh, Justice Institute of British Columbia, 2018
- Chetanya Sharma, India, University of Ottawa, 2021
- Christine Qin Yang, China, Mount Saint Vincent University, 2014
- Gurpreet (GP) Singh Broca, India, Cambrian College, 2018
- Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Nigeria, University of Waterloo, 2012
- Kajol Bhatia, United Arab Emirates, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, 2020
- Ramneet Brar, India, George Brown College, 2017
- Walter Alvarez-Bardales, Guatemala, Cape Breton University, 2020
- Woohyung (Roy) Cho, South Korea, Vancouver Community College, 2020
These 10 incredible people are living examples of resilience, innovation, leadership, and generosity. They’ve demonstrated these qualities through the work they’ve done in their careers and communities.
9 out of the 10 winners still live in Canada today. Read their stories, and you may be inspired to begin your own study abroad journey to Canada next.
Iyinoluwa’s Story
Iyinoluwa’s story begins in Lagos, Nigeria, where he made the life-changing decision to study abroad in Canada. While studying for his degree in Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo, he also participated in the university’s Velocity Garage, the world’s largest free startup incubator.
While active in the Kitchener-Waterloo startup ecosystem, he was inspired to develop several startups of his own. Iyinoluwa co-founded Andela, a global job placement network for software developers. Andela raised US$24 million in a funding round led by Google Ventures and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. But his passion for innovation didn’t stop there. In fact, he used his resources to create Flutterwave, a Nigerian fintech company which empowers Pan-African merchants to expand their businesses globally. His newest startup, Future Africa, is a platform that supports visionary leaders and businesses as they work to solve Africa’s biggest challenges.
With the work he’s put in towards making the world a better place, it’s safe to say that Iyinoluwa has definitely earned his title as one of New African magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Africans, and his spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. We hope that his leadership and generosity inspire future entrepreneurs to chase their dreams and build their skills through studying abroad.
ApplyBoard is proud to connect international students with programs at Iyinoluwa’s alma mater. Read our blog for seven reasons to choose the University of Waterloo!
Ramneet’s Story
Ramneet came to Canada from India and graduated with a diploma in Business Administration–Accounting from George Brown College. After working as a tax consultant at KPMG for five years in Toronto, she then became a co-founder and COO of Isempower. The decision to launch the EdTech startup would change her, and countless others’, lives forever.
Isempower is a career launchpad dedicated to empowering international students. The platform helps academic institutions provide personalized career support, and shares resources and job opportunities from Isempower partner employers. All of these resources are offered to international students at all points of their journey, from day one of class to beyond graduation. Through her team’s hard work and dedication, the Isempower platform has helped facilitate over 1,000 jobs at over 180 top employers. They also have a network of 50,000 students from over 25 academic institutions.
Additionally, Ramneet is the Founder of Residence for the League of Innovators and has hosted multiple networking events to help international students build new communities in Canada.
Ramneet recognizes the importance of international students to Canada’s communities and economy. Because of this, she uses her knowledge as a public speaker with various not-for-profit organizations. Ramneet leans on her own experiences to illustrate how international students can be exploited in the workplace. She emphasizes the importance of ensuring students know and can advocate for their employment rights, paving the way for positive change.
Walter’s Story
Born in Guatemala during the Civil War, Walter’s family escaped to Canada as refugees. Despite the trauma and challenges he faced and diagnoses of dyslexia and adult ADHD, Walter’s drive and determination persisted. He continued to push ahead and pursue his education at Athabasca University.
Walter continued his education, receiving his Master’s degree from Cape Breton University, graduating as class salutatorian. Now, as a Ph.D. student at Royal Roads University studying Social Sciences, Walter volunteers as a researcher for the academic project “The Meaning of Humanitarian Innovation”. His contributions helped make many Guatemalan innovators better known on an international scale. He’s also an active community advocate for improving access to health care and for people with disabilities.
Walter’s incredible work ethic and dedication doesn’t end there. With a dream to inspire others, he faced his fear of public speaking to present to an audience of several hundred people at the Model U.N. in Washington, D.C. in 2019. Then, as a volunteer speaker at the International Ed Talks 2021, he told his story and talked about how love, self-acceptance, and hard work helped him get to where he is today.
Read about six common challenges faced by international students, and strategies for how to overcome them on our blog.
About International Alumni of Impact
The International Alumni of Impact program creates a space for international alumni of Canadian postsecondary institutions. We want to share their journeys and be recognized for their everlasting impact and outstanding efforts.
From founding groundbreaking startups to speaking at the International Ed Talks and winning global awards, these former international students have each made a uniquely positive impact on our world.
What’s Next?
We’re thrilled to announce that 10 scholarships will be created (one for each International Alumni of Impact program winner) and awarded to incoming international students. This way, we not only celebrate the positive contributions of our winners but also amplify their positive impact to help the next generation of international students as well.
Stay tuned for more details about these scholarships coming later this year.
Inspired? Read and share all 10 of the winners’ stories on our website.
