Nandisha Ramsurrun
From the other side of the world, to working at ACOA
Nandisha Ramsurrun, Assistant Economic Development Officer, Prince Edward Island
14,000kms is a long way to move to a place you’ve never heard of.
But that’s exactly what Nandisha Ramsurrun did in 2019 when she crossed the Indian Ocean and left her birthplace of Mauritius to study on another small isle – though it is actually over twice the size of Mauritius – Prince Edward Island.
That risk reaped its rewards.
“PEI shaped me to a stronger person and made me more independent. It has so much to offer similarly to my birthplace - from the beaches to the beautiful summer seasons, PEI reminds me a lot of my birth country.”
Nandisha first joined ACOA as a student in January 2022 for a work term as part of her Business Administration studies at the University of Prince Edward Island. Once her second work term – also at ACOA - ended in August of that same year and with her Bachelor’s in hand, she officially joined the PEI region Communities and Inclusive Growth team as an Assistant Economic Development Officer.When asked why she chose to remain at ACOA following her work term, her answer was immediate.
“The people. Everyone is nice here, and the workplace culture that ACOA offers made me stay.”
As part of her role, Nandisha mainly assists account managers with files, process claims, and position projects through project assessment forms, and has worked on numerous projects under the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, and the Hurricane Fiona Fund.
Vitally important are the additional duties she has also taken on as part of the internal professional development committee, and on the multicultural employee network.
“It’s important to have a network like ACOA’s multicultural employee network so people working at ACOA from different parts of the world can share their stories, their culture. It also provides a great opportunity for people to learn from employees with different backgrounds.”
Reflecting on her experience at ACOA to date, Nandisha takes pride in contributing to the economic development of Atlantic Canada, describing Atlantic Canadians as “resilient, creative, and entrepreneurial.”
Looking forward, she believes ACOA will continue to support prosperity in the region, led by its most unique asset – the Atlantic Canadian spirit.
“ACOA showed me the importance of having strong communities, and how supporting communities can help foster economic development. Combined with its rich culture and economic potential, Atlantic Canada truly has a lot to offer the world.”
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