“I saw the pain in my parent’s eyes as we left our lives and our home in Syria. I made a promise, then and there, that I would not let my parents down—that I would make them proud and I would make myself proud.”
— Nada Al Baradan, ACCES Employment Alumni.
Nada Al Baradan has been in Canada for 4 years. She came to Canada after fleeing the violence of the civil war in Syria. After seeing the pain in her parent’s eyes as they left everything behind, Nada vowed to make her parents proud by doing everything she could to improve her own life and the lives of others.
Nada is a graduate of both the Customer Service for Newcomer Youth and the Youth Job Connections Summer programs at ACCES Employment. For her, ACCES has been a key support for learning critical job searching skills in Canada. “My ACCES Employment Consultant was like a life coach for me. She was really great. I learned a lot of skills: I learned about resume building, networking and interview skills.” Nada continues to be involved as ACCES offers post program coaching to youth and the coaches help youth clients with confidence building, job retention and any other topics or concerns youth may raise.
In her short time in Canada, Nada has created an English language youth program with The Neighbourhood Organization; she has served at the YMCA as a youth mentor and helped create a dramatic play/production focusing on tacking difficult issues for youth; and she has served as a Youth Violence Prevention Panelist with the City of Toronto. Nada has also created a National Conference for Arabic Speaking Youth, which is now produced and supported by the Canadian Mental Health Association, YMCA, and North York Community House and has over 100 youth attendees. During the COVID crisis, Nada has moved the Conference for Arabic Speaking Youth entirely online. She was determined to help her peers despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Today, Nada is still focused on her future. With support and guidance from ACCES, she has started her own venture, Beauty Rose, where she is the lead artist and founder of the business. She remembers the promise she made to her parents and herself as they left Syria and she vows to continue building her life in Canada and helping others. Nada really is the epitome of a newcomer success story because she constantly contributes to Canadian culture and society. She has accomplished so much in her 4 years in Canada. As an ACCES alumni we are proud of Nada’s efforts and we will continue to support her in her future goals.
