For Renata Comin, the move from Brazil to Canada was the opportunity to start a new chapter in her career, one where she could pursue her interests in fashion.  

"Since I was a kid, I loved editorial material and fashion photography. I didn't want to be a designer, but rather behind the scenes producing a fashion show, organizing or photo shoot or a marketing campaign."   

Comin enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce – Fashion Management program. The program provides an overview of business studies and specialized courses on fashion management, including twentieth-century fashion history, trend forecasting, retail and wholesale management, retail finance and more.    

"The Fashion Management program description included all my interests, and it's also very unique – I didn't see a similar program in Canada," said Comin.    

This program also includes a work-integrated learning (WIL) placement where students gain hands-on, real-world experience that employers value. Comin found her WIL opportunity through her program coordinator (PC).  

"My PC, Rossie Kadiyska who brought this opportunity to Humber following her Leave4Change volunteering, emailed me about an internship that would require speaking Spanish. I lived in Spain for a while, so I was fluent, and I thought that would be a good fit for me," said Comin.        

The WIL opportunity came from CECI, an international volunteer cooperation that combats poverty, exclusion and inequity through sustainable development projects. CECI has mobilized over 12,000 volunteers and employees in Canada and 30 countries worldwide.   

After joining CECI, Comin was placed in a volunteer position with Red OEPAIC in Bolivia, South America. The organization works with local artisans to produce handcrafted garments using traditional methods.   

During her WIL experience, Comin completed an in-depth study of Red OEPAIC's eCommerce website. The project involved creating a simulation of the customer journey on the platform and benchmarking similar brands' strategies and tactics for increasing visibility. Comin wrapped up the project with several recommendations to improve the platform from a user's perspective.    

 "I was excited to see that they listened to my recommendations and have started implementing small changes on their website," said Comin. "It's great to see that my work was important and useful to the organization."    

Since this was an international volunteer position, Comin learned valuable remote working skills that will benefit her future career.    

"I had to work independently and manage my time well to finish everything. Everyone was super busy, and I couldn't always rely on others for constant direction. I really had to think for myself and make decisions based on what I thought was best," said Comin.    

For Comin, the most rewarding aspect of her WIL experience was knowing that the organization she worked for had a significant impact on the lives of Bolivian artists.    

"Working for a big brand can be exciting, especially in fashion, but I valued the purpose behind my work with Red OEPAIC," said Comin. "We highlighted artisans who preserve their cultural identity by making garments with traditional methods that require so much technique. It made me work harder to make sure their products were visible." 

Before leaving her internship, Comin wrote a blog article for CECI about her entire journey, which she said was enriching both professionally and personally.   

“I gained intercultural, self-managing, adaptability and leadership skills, and achieved great results," said Comin.  

"I'm looking forward to the next step in my career, and I know what I've learned from this experience and from Humber will help me get there."