In 2011, when 15-year-old Muzammil Syed arrived in Canada from Saudi Arabia with his mother and siblings, navigating the education system seemed daunting. There was no family in Canada to lean on, so Syed was on his own to navigate high school.
“My story is similar to many immigrants in the sense that we are in a new place, and we don’t understand the system, and we have our own challenges, be they economical, lacking a social network, or others,” Syed said in an interview. “For me and for a lot of newcomers, Pathways not only showed us university was achievable but facilitated our post-secondary journey by giving us a roadmap to get there. Many organizations tackle one barrier, but Pathways is remarkable in that they helped you figure out a way to mitigate almost every major barrier newcomers to Canada face, whether it’s financial or academic, or mentorship related.”
The Pathways to Education Program gives these students the tools and support required to succeed in school and beyond. This week, Scotiabank announced a community investment of $900,000 to Pathways to Education through ScotiaRISE, the Bank’s 10-year, $500-million initiative to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups.
—An excerpt from an article featuring Muzammil Syed and Scotiabank’s support of Pathways to Education. Read the full story here.