When Dena moved to Saskatoon in 2006, she didn’t speak English. This was not because she couldn’t – she already spoke 3 languages – but because her school in Mosel, Iraq, had been destroyed by bombs.

But Dena didn’t let that stop her. In 2014 she finished her High School credits, graduated with her Grade 12 Diploma, and immediately registered with Quint’s Core Neighbourhood’s at Work’s job seekers program. With her resume in-hand, Dena began her job search.

By September 2014, Dena got hired with Extra Foods (now Independent Grocers), and she is still working there!

Then in March 2015, Dena was accepted into the CNAW Learner’s License Program where she began working one-on-one with Mallory, a CNAW Employment Coordinator, to study for the learner’s exam.

While SGI offers the learner’s exam in many different languages, Dena was very firm on wanting to do her’s in English. True to her character, she tried writing the learner’s exam twice on her own, but wasn’t successful. Even more determined, Dena took an oral exam (meaning a driving instructor would read the questions to her instead of her reading them on her own) and passed with flying colours!

For Dena, it is important to be independent and this is one of the biggest reasons she wanted her driver’s license. Despite her many obstacles, with 9 years of hard work, she has learned English in a new and very different country, completed high school, found work, and gotten her learner’s license.

Now Dena’s goal is to become a flight attendant – and we’re confident that, for Dena and her hard work, even the sky will not be a limit for her.