Looking to pursue her dream career in a new country, Mariana had her work cut out for her. As an immigrant from Mexico, she was weighing her options when she discovered Mohawk College was a great opportunity to advance her aspirations.
"I chose Mohawk because I was looking for opportunities to leave my country and start pursuing a career that I wanted to do back home in Mexico, in visual media. The reason I chose the Photography - Still and Motion program at Mohawk is because they teach the creative process and actual photography," she says.
Mohawk's Photography - Still and Motion program teaches students how to work in ;an evolving visual media industry through lectures, shoots and critiques. With a focus on still and motion photography, folks will be adequately trained in changes throughout the field while also gaining the skill set of an effective content creator. Students are exposed to establish connections within the photography community and have opportunities to submit their work to various award shows.
Over the course of her program, Mariana has excelled in her studies. She found employment as a technical assistant with the Creative Industries department, assisting students with their equipment loans and operations, networking as she was on-duty.
She was looking for a job to complement her education when she found that Mohawk's marketing department was looking for an assistant through the Campus Student Employment (CSEP) program.
"Back home, I worked for a company that ran media coverage, commercials, social media and advertising," she says. "I thought it would be cool to work with Mohawk and assist their marketing efforts, to dip my toes in that area."
As an assistant, Mariana helps with many pieces of marketing at Mohawk; such as creative writing, planning for video filming, taking pictures and social media posting. While exercising her skills, she is also learning how her work positively affects students.
Mariana says, "That's what I like about the marketing part of this role. I can focus on the purpose behind the job I'm doing. Everything that I do as an assistant is for the purpose of what we do in marketing: helping students on their college journey. I also got the chance to understand other people's jobs, while I was doing my own job."
One of her favourite projects was 2024 Spring Open House. Mariana got to create many concepts for content and art that were published during Mohawk's 4 events this semester. Leaving her mark on Mohawk College in this capacity is a milestone in her career path.
"One of my goals before coming to Canada was to get involved, because I was so involved in the industry back home," she says. "At first, I was afraid of being part of Mohawk's marketing team as a student. Now, to be part of something greater than myself that helps future students is something that will stay with me as I move forward in life."
Along with her studies and role with the marketing department, Mariana made it a priority to teach other students the same thing: get involved, it will change your life.
"At the beginning of this year, a friend and I welcomed new domestic and international students in our program. We're examples of students that successfully got involved in the college community despite cultural differences, which I'm really proud of. I would also recommend anyone to get more involved in their college experience, to make the most of it as I have," she says.
Mariana also splits her time being a photographer and videographer with the Mohawk Students' Association (MSA), creating media for their events and other projects. She also recently won an award at the 2024 Mohawk Celebration of Learning Awards for academic excellence, achieving an exceptionally high grade point average.
As she looks to graduate this year, Mariana is able to reflect on her Mohawk journey as a positive one.
"My experiences at Mohawk have shaped me to know that what I want in life is possible. Instead of seeing people as competition or enemies, I see them as another person that I can relate to or learn from. That aligns with what I wanted out of my Mohawk journey and it's now a reality," she says.
Up to this point, Mariana has paved her career path with skill sets and experiences with passion. Her future is bright, no matter what she decides to do.
Mariana says, "I would love to continue on with photography. At the very least, I'd love to make a career out of anything related to the creative industries. I would love to assist other people and keep learning about photography, getting involved in any way that I can. If I get the chance to do photography or video after Mohawk, I'm happy with that."
The creative industries are made up of diverse fields and skill sets that are ever-growing. For folks who want to follow in the footsteps of Mariana's pathway, she has some sage advice.
"I think as students, we sometimes get caught up in our own heads and think that other people might just see us as a burden. Having a chat with others can make you realize all students understand the struggle you face. That also helps you to think your problem then is not that big if everyone is facing it too," she says.
