Marco, a native of Colombia, decided to emigrate to Canada but wanted to educate himself about his new home prior to his arrival.  He was determined to learn as much about Canada as possible so that his settlement would unfold smoothly. “I decided I needed to learn about the Canadian environment, the conditions and the culture,” he says.  “I wanted to do this before leaving Colombia so I would be prepared.”

To enrich the process, he applied for a mentor through CanadaInfoNet and connected with Tammy Smith, who was happy to make Marco’s settlement experience less daunting.  “I think I added to his comfort by giving very concrete information…in some cases I think I gave him a starting place for considering his options,” says Tammy, manager of a Vancouver volunteer organization.

What was Tammy’s first impression of Marco?  “He was a very smart guy with reasonable questions.  He didn’t need an expert to answer his questions, just a compassionate person.”  

What did Marco find valuable about the e-mentoring experience?  “I had questions about the culture, geography, and way of life, but one main concern I had in getting settled was what neighbourhood I should move into.  I knew nothing about this, so Tammy gave me her opinion.  I ended up moving into an area that she suggested and it’s a great neighbourhood,” he says.

Today, Marco is happily settled in Toronto and is gearing up for his job search as a Management Consultant.   Tammy also provided him with feedback on his resume and referred him to the Canadian Association of Management Consultants.

Marco is grateful for the support provided by Tammy through CanadaInfoNet.  “I recommend CanadaInfoNet all the time.  People have different levels of awareness about settling in Canada.  Most immigrants need help and information before coming here.  CanadaInfoNet is unique and irreplaceable.”

Tammy also reaped rewards from the CanadaInfoNet mentoring relationship:  “I was surprised at how gratifying it was to communicate with Marco.  I looked forward to hearing from him.  This program makes the world a smaller place, it helps you realize how similar people are, how our basic needs are the same and how we can contribute to a global community, “ she says.