For many students, post-secondary education is a pathway to a career. For Ahmad Al Bouchi, it was also a pathway to a new life. Through the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Program (SRP), Ahmad arrived in Canada with the opportunity to pursue higher education and rebuild his future. Today, he is in his final semester of Centennial College’s Software Engineering Technology program, and already looking ahead to what comes next. Here’s how it all happened.
From Lebanon to Canada
“Let's go one step back,” Ahmad says. “Around three years ago, in 2022, I got to graduate from my high school in Lebanon, and I'm Syrian.”
“As you know, the situation at that time in Syria was very bad, with a war, so returning was impossible,” he continues. “I can never return back to Syria to continue my higher education. So, like anyone with a passion for higher education, I started looking for an opportunity outside Lebanon.” And WUSC would provide that opportunity.
How the WUSC Student Refugee Program Creates Pathways to Education in Canada
The Student Refugee Program (SRP) is a unique initiative that combines resettlement to Canada with access to post-secondary education for young refugees. Managed by WUSC, a leading Canadian international development organization, the program lets students enter Canada as permanent residents while pursuing their studies.
Support comes from WUSC Local Committees, made up of students, faculty, and staff, on campuses across the country. Through partnerships with the Government of Canada and the Government of Québec, the program creates life-changing opportunities for students who may otherwise not have access to higher education.
“More than 1000 students applied,” Ahmad says. “They select only 10, 15 maximum. One of the funny things… the other students were all girls, and I'm only the boy with them.”
Why Centennial College Was the Right Choice
Before arriving, Ahmad had already set his sights on Centennial College.
“I knew that Centennial College had very good IT and science programs,” he says, “and I was interested in computers and IT.”
“After I came here, I saw the programs at Centennial,” he continues. “I saw the game development software engineering technician programs. I saw the AI program. I saw a lot of choices, but software engineering technology was the most interesting for me, because it will open a lot of doors in the future.”
Hands-On Learning in Centennial’s Software Engineering Technology Program
Ahmad’s time in the Software Engineering Technology program has been defined by hands-on experience and exploration across multiple areas of tech.
“My first co-op was in AI and software research,” he says. “It was a good experience working with the team, working in software research, and AI pipeline engineering.”
“It’s opening opportunities for me in the future,” he says about what he’s learning, “and it will allow me to work in different positions, whether they’re academic positions, or the first step for me to continue my education through a Bachelor, Master or PhD. It's also enough for me to work in an industry, or to work on a hands-on project, or to work in a company, as I did in my Co-op.” At the same time, he’s been developing a strong personal focus.
“I'm more interested in being a web developer,” he says about his eventual career path. “I did a lot of projects with the college, and some projects for me. Outside the college, I also have my own portfolio that contains all my information, all my projects, and some software projects, too, like a Windows app, and an Android app.”
Support Beyond the Classroom: How WUSC and Centennial College Help Students Succeed
The SRP’s sponsorships typically cover one year, plus tuition waivers in later years, but Centennial College extended its support far beyond that for Ahmad, providing ongoing academic, career and personal support from his first English language classes through to graduation.
“Just starting your life here is not easy,” he admits. “You don't know anyone, you are supposed to learn everything. Centennial helped me to do this. They explained for me everything in Canada, how to find work, how to choose a program, what I'm supposed to look for when it comes to choosing my career.”
“In addition to all this,” he adds, “Centennial College provides a lot of free services, like advisors, and the career center,” he adds. “Centennial College helped me to start my life again.”
That support extended beyond formal services. Through collaboration with the WUSC Local Committee, Ahmad received help building his resume, applying for jobs, and gaining volunteer experience, while also forming meaningful personal connections. Academically, the experience has also been impactful.
“The students here are very passionate about studying, and growing up together,” he says. “The most valuable experience I get is working in a team, to solve problems.”
What’s Next: Continuing Education and Career Goals in Tech
For Ahmad, graduation is just the beginning.
“I'm going to graduate with a software engineering technology advanced diploma, but I'm not going to stop here,” he says. “I will continue my education.”
“Centennial has helped me a lot,” he says, “by sending me choices, sending me the names of universities, helping me with transfer credit. But maybe I’ll take some postgrad courses with Centennial College instead, because they have a lot of postgraduate diplomas. I could study Cybersecurity for one or two years, AI for one or two years, or Game Development. There’s a lot of choice at Centennial.”
Ahmad’s Advice for Other Students Facing Challenges
For other students, especially those facing the same type of uncertainty that he did, Ahmad offers a simple, but powerful message:
“You need to try,” he says. “You will struggle. You will fail. Then you will stand up and continue walking. You will fall again. But never stay on the ground.”
Ahmad Al Bouchi’s journey reflects what’s possible when a determined student is given the tools they need to find their success. Through the support of WUSC and Centennial College, Ahmad has not only built a foundation in software engineering, but also created a new path forward, defined by resilience, growth, and ambition.
By Anthony Geremia