To educate is to empower, and with empowerment comes a revolution.
To every 21st century individual, education is an evident source of empowerment in their strife to lead a purposeful life. An enhanced quality of living, a progressive career, and a holistic development of both, an individual and the society are the aspects that education caters to and delivers. However, the torch of education, held in the right hands, magnifies this empowerment and guides its seekers on the right path. With the motive of bringing into spotlight, the torch bearers, the guides and the sculptors of the world’s future leaders, we at The Knowledge Review, introduce to you Canada’s 10 Most Influential Educational Leaders, 2019. Featuring on our cover story is one of the aforesaid torch-bearers, Mr. Din Awad, the President of Evergreen College.
Mr. Awad, being from a family of educators, learned the importance of education at a very young age, and expresses gratitude for the same. His academic background is in Information Technology, and he started his education career by working for IBM’s Training Department. He worked in education development in many public and private sectors in several countries. These experiences were what made him understand the importance of job-ready skills and how to implement them into a career-based education that helped to establish Evergreen College, which prepares students with the right career knowledge and skills.
He believes strongly in the importance of skills training along with academic education. He states that employers are seeking talent with both knowledge and competency in their sector. His objective is, and has always been, to develop different programs that will prepare students for employment, and to select a faculty of industry professionals to provide education from an employment perspective.
Mr. Awad says that he struggled a lot with trying to fit into the workforce of a foreign country. He experienced this when he immigrated to Canada. Today, as President of Evergreen College, he seeks to help new Canadians and international students to overcome some of the hurdles they may face. “I believe that working hard since I arrived in Canada until I became the president of the most prestigious career college in Canada is my major achievement,” says Mr. Awad.
He also adds that being asked about what he achieved and what Evergreen College represents is a huge achievement so far, and he thinks looking at the small details is what makes the difference. “In my circle, I am regarded as someone that people can come to for educational advice and it is so inspiring to have guided the successes of so many people,” he adds.
The Catalyst to Excellence
Emphasizing upon the vital aspects of the institution led by Mr. Awad, Evergreen College delivers career programs for a diverse population of students. It believes that every student, regardless of background and life experiences, deserves the benefit of post-secondary education. The college’s mission is to prepare every graduate with the theory, competencies and job skills that lead to a successful career. Evergreen College aims at helping students and others realize that their background and life experiences make them who they are, make their professional/educational profile unique from one another, and make them stand out in the Canadian society. “We want to have more creative and unique personas out there in Canada and the world, with/from a Canadian education,” says Mr. Awad.
Before entering into one of Evergreen’s applied programs, students are provided with an Academic Preparation Course to help them transition into student life in Canada. This unique course delivers and assesses the benchmarks of the students’ career and personal success. The college is creating a community of professionals that are individually striving and within a team, too. It listens to what the student needs and where they want to go. The college makes them realize their potential and is constantly upgrading the way to support and reach a student on educational levels. Its Professors are also trained to constantly be on the lookout for students who are academically perfect but need extra support from different aspects of life. In addition, Evergreen’s programs include an internship for students to apply their classroom knowledge with an employer in their chosen sector. The college fully supports students in sourcing a placement that is the right fit, and it is frequently sought out by employers when seeking talent. One of Evergreen’s achievements is how it also makes sure to never forget the staff; it makes sure they have a meaningful experience when working with the college.
This reflects on the students when one works with passionate individuals, and the college is sure to spread this to the students and encourage it. By working closely with their professors, its students are able to experience what it is like to work with fellow staff members in their chosen field. This can be seen most in the healthcare programs where students work with their professors who were previously medical professionals. The college also tries use organic tools, which means it uses minimal tools or those that are self-created to guide the students so that they can make the most of any situation and learn to self-create.
Efficiently Adapting to Change
Mr. Awad, when asked about Canada’s educational framework, states, “We are fortunate to have a thriving and experienced educational industry to deliver to the world and further enhance our job market.” He adds that Canada’s culture is rooted in kindness and sharing, and this translates into the educational sector by helping individuals to grow as they pass through the country’s education system.
At Evergreen College, Mr. Awad and his team strives to deliver this experience for international students by providing them with life lessons from the college’s educated and experienced professors. “We want to see the Canadian educational system working together, no institute is too small or too big to fit into this future Canadian goal,” Mr. Awad expresses. He is of the opinion that one of the most important contributors in causing a revolution in the current landscape of Canada’s educational sector is the younger generations and the youth. According to him, they are the ones who will change how things work because of what they have learned. The newest group of contributors would be Generation Z; they are taking the elder generation into a new time to be alive, the future! One can see how technology affects this generation, their interactions and how they do things.
Evergreen College’s business model shifts to support the group, in ways like targeting them in an online presence, catering to mental health and all the initiatives one might see other big universities focus on. The college is looking into analyzing what’s going on, how can it better guide these students, since they are sometimes referred to as ‘the lost’ generation and since some of them don’t know what they want to achieve. Thus it is always ready to tackle these things once it can and once it has done research on it.
Being a Beacon of Inspiration
Pursuing further education, according to Mr. Awad, is both difficult and rewarding. He says that his students each bring their own history to their studies, and their goals may differ widely. It takes passionate professors to inspire every single student to be their best self and aim high. Evergreen College’s professors bring real world experience and examples to the classroom, to make their lectures come alive. Students learn by instructor-led practical training with someone who has actually done the job and knows what success looks like. Professors are dedicated to guiding each student to achieve their dreams, by supporting challenges and celebrating successes.
“Each student is a future building figure, and they have unique offerings. I think they inspire me most because we each have individual traits that contribute to our own set of competencies in this world,” Mr. Awad emphasizes. He also states, “We can work as the human body; different organs, different functions, and skills to offer, but we make it all work and grow together in the end.”
A Progressive Workplace
Evergreen College fosters a supportive, transparent, collaborative multicultural team environment. Employees are encouraged to own their role and contribute to the student experience. Its practice of continuous quality improvement ensures that professors maintain educational excellence and the reputation of the college.
Evergreen College is what is represented to the students as an organizational experience throughout their study, and it shows them the best version possible. It also employs a lot of its students on campus to put what they learn in the classroom to use. This experience combined with their classroom skills is what will help them to succeed in the workforce. It even does working interviews with staff to see if they are what they say and see if this is the person the college needs on its team, a team that includes the students.
Opening More Doors of Opportunities
As the proprietor of a Canadian college, Mr. Awad is acutely aware of the privilege of studying in Canada. He opines that this country provides boundless opportunities for educated professionals. In his advice to the future leaders and intellectuals of the country, he says, “Education is never wasted; it is transferable and portable, and credentials have life-long value, wherever in the world they are acquired. Never, ever stop learning.”
He is also of the opinion that as the employment landscape changes, education must adapt. It has been widely reported that employers are increasingly seeking skilled talent in the 21st century. Since Evergreen College is committed to embracing technology and innovation, new programs in information technology, healthcare and business will position its graduates to become future leaders. “By building new campuses in Canada and beyond, we will reach a broad student base, delivering outstanding career training and changing lives one graduate at a time,” states Mr. Awad.
