Our Northern Lights is an initiative that illuminates our people, their stories, and celebrates their achievements. We hope that their journey will inspire others to pursue their dreams and make a difference in the world.
In 2021, Ursula Paz Amaro made a life-changing decision.
Taking a leap of faith, she packed up her life in Chile and moved to Canada with her husband and youngest daughter. The transition was fueled by determination and a passion for learning.
As a family, they had a lot of choices to make. The first was which country did they want to start calling home? Ursula and her family looked at Finland, Switzerland, and Japan, but after much discussion chose Canada, which had the reputation as culturally diverse, with good education.
Within that decision was another: which province to move to? Since British Columbia had similar climate and geography to their home country of Chile, that particular choice was an easy one.
Next was the matter of choosing a school in BC. As a fan of the show Dawson’s Creek, Ursula was immediately interested in a school located in a city called Dawson Creek. After learning more about the area and programs, she decided she was going to apply at Northern Lights College.
Ursula considered criminology, sociology, and even education — her background in Chile. She spent 11 years teaching art and design to all ages and skill levels before moving to Canada. She taught in local public and international schools, as well as universities. She even did workshops for new teachers wanting to teach art.
“It’s a mixture you know, because art design and culinary, are art. You can express yourself, you can use your creativity, your personal skills, to make something your culture, to make something amazing.”
Ultimately, to the surprise of her family, she decided on the Professional Cook program.
“And my husband said ‘Are you sure? Because you just make bread!’ And I said, ‘yes, because it’s probably a really challenging trade.”
It turns out that culinary arts and design have a lot in common.
“It’s a mixture you know, because art design and culinary, are art. You can express yourself, you can use your creativity, your personal skills, to make something your culture, to make something amazing.”
Ursula excelled in her culinary courses, even competing in Fusion Faceoff, a cooking competition hosted by Dale McKay from Top Chef Canada.
Now, with her training complete, Ursula is excited about the future. She still hopes to teach in Canada one day and is currently completing courses to make her eligible as an early childhood educator in Canada.
“When I decided to study to be a teacher, I think it was the best decision ever. Yeah. I was born to be a teacher.”
To hear more about Ursula in her own words, read on:
What is your first NLC Memory?
When I carved for the first time, a pumpkin for a NLC Halloween competition. Was so excited, funny and challenging. What is your superpower? (Everyone has one!)
My willpower and my perseverance.
What three words describe your NLC experience?
Challenging, peaceful and multicultural
If you could go back to your first week of classes and give yourself advice, what would it be?
Be strong, positive and study the content to be better.
What would you tell another student if they were thinking of coming to NLC?
To be prepared for a challenging experienced, for knowing nice people in a great environment.