In the coming months, the Humber International Centre would like to take some time to recognize the successes of our current international students and our recent graduates. In this first Profile of Success, we learn about the pathway to success of Daniela Molina, a recent Humber graduate.
Name: Daniela Molina
Home Country: Mexico
Humber Program: Visual & Digital Arts
Date of Graduation: April 2013
When Daniela first arrived at Humber, she describes being somewhat dazed at being in a new country. “I never left my country before on my own.” She credits her success after arrival on her willingness to “put myself out there a lot.” Rather than sitting back and waiting for life to happen, Daniela decided to apply herself and her efforts to her school work; this work ethic earned recognition from her professors. Those same professors have since played a key role in helping her to find job relationships outside of Humber.
But Daniela’s involvement in the Humber community didn’t end there. She found part-time employment working in the International Centre, was selected as one of two artists to produce watercolour images for “Glimpses” a publication of campus sketches published in 2012, and entered art competitions organized by Humber (The Humber Art Show 2012 and 2013). Daniela’s work was recognized when she won 1st place in the 2012 competition in the Mixed Media and 3D Art category, and in 2013 1st place and Juror’s Choice in the same category.
Daniela stresses the importance of accessing the various resources Humber offers to help students in their job search, which can lead to success after graduation. Many students “sort of want to do it [the job search] on their own”, says Daniela, but making use of the Humber job portal and services can assist students to focus their attention on the right jobs. “You only need one callback; you only need one interview to get it [a job]”.
After graduation, Daniela planned to look for a full-time job related to her field of study, in order to get one to two years of valuable Canadian work experience. So far those plans have come to fruition. Within a month of completing her final Humber exams and assignments, Daniela began working at Philcos Enterpriser Ltd. as a Graphics and Production Artist. Her work requires her to produce original art which fits within a specific brand’s requirements (eg. TV shows, musical groups, entertainment networks, etc). Daniela felt confident starting her new position, as her technical skills and software knowledge, along with previous studies provided her with the knowledge necessary to perform her job duties. One surprise? “I was still surprised at how much we have to juggle all at once: time frames, our license’s style guides, production limitations and costs, while trying to be as creative as we can within these restrictions,” notes Daniela.
The skills Daniela learned at Humber which helped her prepare for her current career include: time management, the ability to apply all of her skills to produce one really strong piece of work, and teamwork. “I learned a lot about teamwork and how to interact with people from different backgrounds; I learned how to work together to achieve something. This is something that a lot of companies are looking for.”
What was the most enjoyable aspect of her time at Humber? Daniela narrows it down to the friends and connections she’s made. “I met people from various backgrounds and I’ve learned so much from them. I learned something new from every person I’ve met. That’s something that helped me a lot personally and professionally.”
Watch for our next Profile of Success in early August.
Above: Daniela at work
Below: Daniela at art show