The Langley LIP Immigrant Advisory

As an 18-year-old immigrant who has been residing in the country for the past six years, the drive to create change and a deep appreciation for community work, have consistently inspired me to be proactive regarding activism and volunteerism.

Recognizing the importance of education and their desire to contribute to the healthcare field, I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a hope to specialize in pediatric care. I have spent a significant amount of time over the years volunteering with childcare and non for profit organisations which have inspired my motivation to pursue such specialization.

My experiences pushed me to actively seek opportunities to make a difference in the community. In August of 2022, I proudly accepted the position of Youth Immigration Advisor on the Immigration Advisory Council. This role allows me to channel my passion and firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by youth immigrants, enabling me to advocate for their needs and contribute to decisions that shape the immigrant settlement experience.

Despite encountering obstacles that initially hindered my ability to voice my opinions and make an impact, I have remained resilient and proactive. I understand the transformative power of representation and aim to be a catalyst for positive change, not only within the immigrant community but also within society as a whole.

Through my commitment to activism, volunteerism, and my role as a Youth Immigration Advisor, I exemplify my dedication to creating a better future for all, one marked by inclusivity, compassion, and equal opportunities. My attempt to give my unwavering determination to make a lasting difference serves as an inspiration to others and reinforces the importance of youth involvement in shaping a more just and harmonious society where the voices, ideas, and thoughts of youth can go somewhere beyond papers but hopefully a place where they are heard.

I am very interested in the settling process for new immigrants, as I am aware of the many challenges they can face. In the past, I was involved in the community with ISSofBC by being a mentor to new immigrants, showing them around the area or helping to find different resources in the city. I have also helped interpreting through other organizations.

In my job as a property manager, I have had the opportunity to house many immigrant families and I can see first hand, how they are willing to make a life and integrate in the new place, but how easily the situation can change and become frustrating as reality hits.

In my case, the challenges we faced were mostly in finding agencies that could help us or guide us as we came to set up a business in the area. Any assistance we needed we found in Vancouver, but it would have been important to find support in the area we chose to live.

My vision for Langley in respect to immigration, is that the community continues to welcome newcomers and offer even more opportunities to learn the language, while looking for work.

My passion is working, supporting and advocating for people with disabilities and their families. Since 2012 I have worked at Langley Secondary School as an SEA. I am a Resource Parent with FSI (Family Support Institute) as a volunteer.

When I moved to Langley in 2004, I felt so welcome by my neighbours and the community that I decided to call this city my home.

I did need to advocate for my son who was diagnosed with Autism in 2004. I am still advocating and learning about services for him now that he is becoming an adult.

A challenge that I see in my field is that it is often hard for new Canadians to access the services for their special needs family members.  It takes more time for them to be able to get support if they just arrive to Canada.

My vision for Langley is for our students who just arrive to Canada to be able to get the services and assessments they need on time without the need to wait longer than normal.  For our students who struggle with the language, they need access to extra support. And to make sure special-needs adults are able to access all the services that they deserve.

I am Mark Castillo. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the Philippines in 2005. I obtained my nursing experience in the Philippines (1year) and Dubai (5years). I wasn’t really happy with what I was doing as a nurse and so I decided to move from Dubai. I chose Canada because my only other option was Denmark and I thought that learning a new language would be difficult. As an immigrant, I found myself unemployed for a couple of weeks and it was really challenging not just to make ends meet but because I was also paying for a property in the Philippines.

I moved to Langley more than a year ago because this is where we have always wanted to live in.  I and my partner have been working here for several years now and we find Langley small and quaint compared to where we used to live before. It has the city vibe and the fresh breath of the country as well.

In the future, I would like to see Langley maintain its peace and quiet (compared to other cities in Greater Vancouver) but also progress in terms of transportation and infrastructure.

Nabeel moved away from Jordan to Canada as a refugee on January 1st, 2016, it was really difficult for him to move into a new country where he didn’t know their language and their culture, and it was hard for him to get involved in the country in the beginning. In May 2016 Nabeel started volunteering in communities and places who help the newcomers like Langley community service Society and ISS of BC and got involved in high school to continue his education journey. When Nabeel started Volunteering through these communities has allowed him to connect with newcomers’ individuals and support them to achieve their goals. Nabeel believes volunteering is a great way of helping immigrants and refugees to build new lives in Canada.

To continue, Mr. Nabeel Obid was a leader in the interpretation team in British Columbia. His team has 14 people with multiple languages such as Arabic Chinese Spanish French Punjabi Hindi. That interpretation team led by Mr. Nabeel Obid was created in 2018 the team was responsible for translation in the airports, hospitals, police departments and emergencies. Working together in a team and being a part of an immigration advisory counselor member will help us gather our experience skills and knowledge together to help the immigrants and the newcomers into Langley and make it a better place for them. Mr. Nabeel said immigration advisory counselor team will work together and determine the issues that can affect the newcomers in Langley. I’m very happy and excited about this advisory because I know I will do my best to help the refugees to achieve their dreams and goals by being in Langley. I undertake to do everything in my power to make the right decisions for the newcomers.

My vision for Langley would be to see continuance supporting the immigrants who struggle to settle their life. In the upcoming years, Langley will be one of the most important supporters for the new refugees and residents, and there will be a major role for the immigration advisory counselor member to support this mission development by leadership of Ana marie

I have been an educator for 18 years. We wanted to immigrate to Canada to be closer to family and friends, for improved overall quality of life, for the abundant beautiful natural resources and outdoor lifestyle. We hoped to live, study and work in diverse and inclusive communities.

As Langley is amongst the fastest-growing communities in BC, I hope we can continuously welcome, support, include and learn from immigrants from all over the world. Having new amenities, recreation centers, affordable housing, better access to healthcare and education and the new Surrey to Langley Sky Train extension could make Langley a great location for young families and working professionals who desire the work/life balance.

I majored in pharmaceutical studies. In China, I worked in the field of work-related injury insurance, similar to WorkSafeBC. Right now I’m a pharmacy assistant. For most new immigrants, it is our dream to return to our professional work field. But we also know that the language barrier, degree credential, different work culture and other things always hold our steps. If we can evaluate ourselves properly from the basic- level work, when we decide to return to our field we should overcome all the challenges with all efforts.

Born and raised in India and having lived many tears in Kuwait where she carved her career niche. Shruti moved to Canada in 2013, with her family. Shruti is passionate about community engagement and fervently lives by her principles of diversity and inclusion. In Canada she has found many opportunities to contribute and create cohesive communities.

Shruti brings 18+ years if work experience in Human Resources with specialization in Total Rewards and has worked with leading organizations on developing and implementing people strategies that attract, engage and retain the right talent. Her focus is to create dynamic and driven workplaces with a growth mindset. Shruti is an avid advocate for diversity and inclusion, including Truth and Reconciliation initiatives and believes in championing multiplicity of human experiences, ideas, cultures, and perspectives.

In 2013, fascinated by the multitude of services that MOSAIC offered she became a mentee in the workplace connections program and subsequently when she was approached with the opportunity to give back as a career mentor, it was simply a no brainer! Prior to that Shruti was actively involved with the United Way campaign as a campaign representative and has also been championing child hunger, education and mentorship programs for children and youth via backpack buddies, Big Brother and Big Sister of Langley and other non-profits.

Always questioning the status quo to create a positive and meaningful impact, her go to mantra – “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

~ Mother Teresa ~