A Passion for Helping Others

Elisha Baptiste moved to PEI to study but decided she wanted to stay. Now, she helps other international students do the same. “I have that insight and I have that passion. How can I help someone who has, in a way, followed in my footsteps?”

Elisha is the Program and Marketing Manager at the Atlantic Student Development Alliance (ASDA), a non-profit in Charlottetown that helps international students and graduates find meaningful work in Prince Edward Island.She moved to PEI from Trinidad and Tobago in 2021. With a background in media and communications, Elisha found herself drawn to the marketing and advertising management program at Holland College. She also found herself drawn to the beauty of PEI. “Coming from an island, I thought, ‘OK, I’m going from one island to another,’” she says with a laugh.

How PEI Connectors Empower Newcomers

Elisha took part in the Study and Stay PEI Program, which helps international students who want to live and work in PEI. She learned about PEI Connectors in the process. “As an international student, you don’t have a built-in network,” she explains.She saw PEI Connectors as a way to learn and build that network. She attended a small group session on employee rights, and she also chatted with program officer Elmira Moghimi about her resume and goals. “She was very encouraging,” Elisha says.

After graduating in 2022, Elisha found her own employment at Holland College and then ASDA. Her current role includes promoting ASDA’s programs — to help even more international students and the province as a whole.“It’s valuable to have students who are well-trained, who have a lot of experience. How can we help support them, so they can stay here?”Elisha says her experience shows that organizations like PEI Connectors are key. Though she found her own employment, PEI Connectors gave her a sense of support and reinforced her decision to stay on this island.“It’s been a bit easier to navigate and connect,” she says. “I feel comfortable here.”