Andrea from El Salvador

Meet Andrea!

What is your job?

I am a Marketing Assistant for the Americas, Spain and Portugal. I help bring more students to Georgian and help the current ones adjust to life on campus.

What city and country are you from?

Santa Tecla, El Salvador.

What program did you take at Georgian College?

I took Advertising and Marketing Communications. I graduated in April 2017. The reason I chose Canada, more specifically Georgian, was mostly the program. I was looking for a brighter future with more opportunities so I can give my family the life they deserve.

What are some of the things you found the most different in Canada from your home country?

The weather. The coldest my city can be is around 15°C whereas in Canada, 15°C is still really hot.

What do you enjoy the most about Canada?

I love the people. Canadians are nice and kind. They understand that us international students don’t have perfect English and they have patience when we try to express ourselves.

What do you miss the most about your hometown?

Obviously my family but also my food. I miss pupusas and Pollo Campero.

What do people do for fun in your hometown?

There’s a tourist place called El Paseo El Carmen which has a lot of restaurants, bars and mini stores. It’s a good place to go with family and pets.

What are some of the main food dishes you would eat back home?

Our main dish is pupusas but we also have some dishes that are part of our daily diet like beans, plantain, tortillas and bread, amongst others.

Tell me a bit about your country, what it’s known for, and what makes it great.

My country is the smallest country in America. We’re in the middle of Central America (we are not part of South America). Something I always say to promote my country is that you can go to the beach in the morning and to the mountains in the afternoon. We have beautiful nature and really nice weather.

If I was going to visit your home country, where would you suggest I go, or what should I do?

I would suggest first eating pupusas, then going to the Mayan ruins or visit the National Palace (located in the capital, San Salvador).

What’s your favourite part about winter?

My favourite part about winter is looking at the snow. I love to see it come down from the sky and accumulate on the ground. I love waking up in the morning and seeing a white landscape. I love the snow as long as I am inside, super warm, drinking hot chocolate!

What’s the best part about living in Canada?

The safety.

What’s your favourite place you’ve ever travelled to and why?

Definitely Japan. I love Japan and everything about it (but the food). I went there last year for about two weeks and I can assure you it wasn’t enough. One of my life goals is to live there someday.

Do you celebrate Halloween in El Salvador?

We don’t celebrate Halloween for religious reasons. But since my country is starting to Americanize more, the new generations are starting to include it on their holidays.

I had seen Halloween celebrated only in movies and TV shows, so I couldn’t wait to come to Canada and be able to celebrate it. I have been here for three Halloweens so far and I love it! I really love the fact that it’s the perfect excuse to go to school or to work wearing a costume.