It’s never easy to move from one place to another, no less when it’s from another country. It can be a challenge to meet new people and find opportunities to make a living without knowing people. That was the case for Marcio Cutrim and his wife when they came to Victoria. But through a little community involvement, it wasn’t long before Marcio was able to forge some great friendships and working relationships.
Both civil engineers, Marcio and his wife decided that they wanted to try and make a life for themselves somewhere else than their home country of Brazil. It was Canada they decided on as it fulfilled their criteria, however, coming from Brazil, you can’t begin work here as an engineer right away. Marcio also felt that his English at the time was a bit of a barrier, so the couple decided that it would be a good idea for him to go back to school as a refresher to become familiarized with the nuances and terminology of civil engineering here in Canada.
“…I have no regrets; it’s an amazing city.”
“I didn’t choose Victoria right away,” says Marcio, “I was actually trying for something in Vancouver or Alberta in Calgary or Edmonton. But the time was running and I saw Camosun College, read about it, and decided to apply. Camosun accepted me and I said, ‘well, I haven’t done much research about Victoria, but it seems to be a good place.’ Since then, I have no regrets; it’s an amazing city.”
The Citizens’ Counselling Centre.
It didn’t take long for Marcio and his wife to settle into the unique and enviable atmosphere that Victoria has to offer. Coming from a city of around two million people, it was a welcome change in pace, offering a great lifestyle and all the necessary amenities without the same stresses of a larger city.
“…I have tried to do things in my city to help my people—why not try to do this here?”
It was during Marcio’s time in school that he was encouraged to reach out into the community for opportunities to volunteer. “One of my professors mentioned HeroWork and said, ‘if you’d like to join, they’re going to start a new renovation, so check their website and Facebook page to see what they do.’… I kept that in my mind because I have tried to do things in my city to help my people—why not try to do this here? We were making a new life and we should try to be more involved with the community, try to get together and help.”
“…I recognized that he was one of the bright students that impressed me…instantly I realized he had taken my advice.”
Vance Smith of Core Drafting Services also got a chance to meet Marcio pre-HeroWork and suggested the path of community involvement. He had been volunteering his time doing mock interviews with students in the Engineering program at Camosun. Following the interview, Marcio had asked him what would be helpful with getting a job in Victoria. Vance, who volunteers with HeroWork and Habitat for Humanity, among others, suggested that volunteering in the community was a great way to meet people, including potential employers. It was a couple months later on the weekend of the next Radical Reno that Vance next encountered Marcio. “I’m running through the building in frantic,” recalls Vance, “and all of the sudden this fellow bumps into me and goes, ‘Hey Vance!’ And I look at him and he says, ‘I’m Marcio, from Camosun.’ And as soon as he said where he was from I recognized him, and I recognized that he was one of the bright students that impressed me…instantly I realized he had taken my advice.”
Over the lunch break, Vance hunted Marcio down to chat more with him. In conversation, Vance discovered that Marcio was looking for work for the summer and that his wife was also a civil engineer. Vance then posed the opportunity of a contract job with his firm for the summer, and two weeks later Marcio began work. It wasn’t long until Vance also provided Marcio’s wife with a contract job. The two did fantastic work and helped Vance through a tight spot.
“…we’re all of a like mind, have integrity, want to do good work, and value our community.”
“There are certain personality types that do HeroWork, they’re quality people.” Says Vance, “And I learned very quickly that Marcio was one of those quality people, and knew that his wife must have been the same, so I quickly felt that I had made the right decision. It’s one of those things when you see someone volunteering at HeroWork—you know very quickly that they are like-minded people, and I’m noticing that there’s a real community in Victoria of HeroWorkers…and since my involvement in HeroWork started two and a half years ago, there have been a significant number of contractors and designers that I am now working with that I would have never worked with before, and we’re enjoying the relationship because we’re all of a like mind, have integrity, want to do good work, and value our community.”
Marcio wasn’t entirely sure what he would be doing at the Radical Reno, but it didn’t matter too much to him, as he was focussed on doing something for the community. HeroWork presents an environment where the busy, but positive and cohesive atmosphere allows for people to get to know each other very quickly. Other people I have talked to have also made reference to the fact that you find a special kind of person volunteering with HeroWork and that their true colours shine through, fostering great new relationships. Vance also told me that of the 30-odd students that he interviewed and gave the advice to volunteer, Marcio is the only one to his knowledge that heeded his suggestion. “HeroWork pulls the diamonds out of the rock,” says Vance, “it’s a really good filter.”
“…it’s good when you can do something you like and also wake up with pleasure and full of joy like “let’s go!’”
The experience that Marcio got was really great in providing him with perspective to what the engineering work environment was like here in contrast to that in Brazil. “It was good because it opened my mind as to what I could expect here in Canada.” says Marcio, “And it was also good because he put me touch with other people and companies…we work because we need money at the end of the month, but it’s good when you can do something you like and also wake up with pleasure and full of joy like “let’s go!’ and that’s the way [Vance] is. And its’s the same with me, so we really connected.”
Prepping the rooms for the contractors to work was one of Marcio’s jobs on the Radical Reno project.
Currently, Marcio is back in school, brushing up on some skills to make him more marketable for engineering and project management jobs in Canada. His work with HeroWork though, is not over. “As soon as we finished that renovation, all I could think about was the next one.” says Marcio. Marcio’s wife is also keen on jumping into the next Radical Reno project.
“All the things that happened to us were really amazing, they really changed us.”
Vance was right, HeroWork is a good filter for character, and it was an absolute pleasure to talk to Marcio. The hard work that the couple puts in to make a life for themselves in Canada will pay off, and their propensity for helping out in their new community speaks volumes about their genuine good character. By becoming involved and finding some contract work opportunties, it has helped them more clearly determine what it is that they want to do here within their discipline. “It’s really amazing that I had the chance to participate in HeroWork and also the chance to know Vance. All the things that happened to us were really amazing, they really changed us.”
I wish Marcio and his wife all the best in finding work in their field of engineering. Keep an eye out for them in the next Radical Reno working hard for their community!
