Dawood is originally from Iraq, but lived for 6 years in Syria
before immigrating to Canada. In Syria, he successfully established a
small plant. Once the revolution began, he applied to the Canadian
Embassy to immigrate to Canada and was successful. This is his fourth
year in Canada.
Dawood attended the University
of Western Ontario to earn his Masters in Chemical Engineering. Currently
he is doing research, writing and publishing papers, and volunteering. He
has worked as a Research Assistant, written a book chapter and is currently
applying to be a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario.
Life for him has been very busy since
coming to Canada. He said that the only time he has had to watch a movie
is when he has been on an airplane.
He researched which city he wanted to move
to on the internet before he moved to Canada. London appealed to him as
it was more affordable than places like Toronto, has a well-known University
and is a conservative city. He sees London as a good place to raise a family
and has found the city to be very welcoming.
When asked about his involvement with the
community, Dawood stresses that the key for newcomers, is to go to
school. He feels that learning about the culture, how to manage your
life, and the ways of Canadians is learned through the LINC school (Language
Instruction for Newcomers to Canada), which is free. This kind of
schooling provides more than just learning the language—“it is the key to being
successful as an immigrant”. It teaches you how to become like other
Canadians: how to behave, how to give compliments (compliments here are so
different than from home) and how to avoid mistakes. He suggests taking the
TOEFL or the IELTS exams and getting a Canadian certification or qualification
in your profession or field.
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