Career Festival 2024 – Highlights from an Inspiring Day

On Sunday, December 8, 2024, Princess Margaret Secondary School hosted Career Festival 2024 — an engaging event where students from all levels connected with industry professionals to explore career paths, ask questions, and gain real-world insights.

About the Event

Career Festival 2024 was a vibrant, community-centered event that brought together students from middle school, high school, and university to explore real-world career paths and connect directly with industry professionals. 

The festival aimed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and support students in making informed academic and career decisions. It provided a rare opportunity for young people to have candid, face-to-face conversations with professionals across a broad range of sectors. 

Our Participants

We were proud to welcome 17 outstanding professionals who generously volunteered their time to speak with students, share their journeys, and offer valuable guidance. The confirmed participants were: 

• Fatih Narin – Teacher 
• Ibrahim Abanozoglu – Microsoft, Principal Product Manager 
• Ugur Yildiz – MDA Space, Member of Technical Staff 
• Surrey Police – Representatives 
• Mucahit Aric – Cloud Engineer 
• Nilufer Aric – Nurse 
• Dr. Sakinah – Doctor 
• Celal Unver – Backend Developer, EA 
• Artik Bharoliya – Software Developer 
• Mehmet Tokkal – Lawyer 
• Ali Bancar – Surrey School District, Occupational Health and Safety Officer 
• Prabash Hettiarachchi – Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Change Management 
• Nirusha De Alwis – Insurance Specialist 
• Rathika – Products/Customer Experience Specialist 
• Emre Onsel – Mining Engineer 
• Jawed – Civil Engineer 

Building Connections 

Each professional was assigned a dedicated table, allowing students to engage in open, informal conversations. The setup fostered a welcoming and interactive environment where students could: 

• Ask thoughtful questions about different professions 
• Gain insight into education paths and daily responsibilities 
• Learn from real-life career journeys and personal experiences 

This one-on-one format helped students build confidence, expand their perspectives, and take meaningful steps toward their future goals. 

A Day for All Students 

Career Festival 2024 was intentionally inclusive, welcoming students of all ages and academic backgrounds. Whether attendees were in early stages of exploration or preparing for post-secondary decisions, the event offered practical insights and encouragement tailored to each stage of the journey.