Parisa landed in Prince Edward Island on a cool fall day in 2011. Originally from Shiraz, the fifth-largest city in Iran by population renowned for its lush gardens and literary history, she came to the Island in search of peace and opportunity.
For their young daughter, Parisa’s parents were unrelenting in their desire to place her in environments where gender was no barrier to opportunity. She describes them as being constantly by her side but not in front of her. Parisa studied soil science in Iran and, after her arrival to PEI, studied bioscience technology at Holland College.
She wore many hats during this period in her journey: studying English as a Second Language; working at the dollar store to support herself; and completing her education at the college. To build her personal and professional network, she volunteered with Immigrant & Refugee Services Association PEI, at DiverseCity PEI, during the East Coast Music Festival, and with PEI’s Humane Society.
These diligent efforts led to years-long stints at bioscience firms in Charlottetown and eventually landed her a job as a Fermentation and Process Developer with the Government of Canada. She credits attending a PEI Connectors job fair with being instrumental to her current position.
Parisa arrived on PEI buoyed by the hopes of parents utterly convinced of the brightness of her future. In the next few years, she hopes to have completed a master’s degree and move even further in her career. This will be another step in building a life where peace is the undercurrent.
Written by: Elizabeth Iwunwa
Photography: Greg Ellison, Ellison Media
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