Hi, my name is Fredriz Cantilado! I am a third-year student at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, currently pursuing a double major in International Development Studies and Health Policy with a minor in Health Humanities. I’ve been granted the amazing opportunity of working as a Marketing and Branding Officer for The Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG), in the city of Accra. I'll be supporting AAG with developing different marketing and branding strategies, enhance the association's capacity for public engagement and awareness while also identifying underlying gender issues within the promotional material.
This experience would have not been possible without the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program and I encourage anyone who has even the tiniest bit of interest to apply. This journey begun the moment I knew I was going to send my application and now after taking the leap of faith, I’ll be moving to another country on my own for three months, working and studying, which is nerve racking yet thrilling at the same time. I’m excited to be immersed within an unfamiliar environment, to be enriched by Ghana’s vivid history and beautiful culture, and to foster growth in my professional career, academic life and personal endeavors. I have previously lived on my own in a different province for a short period of time, but living on my own in a different continent is an entirely new experience. I would not be able to do this without the help from friends, family, U of T and as well as Uniterra, and I am extremely grateful to be receiving this support.
I welcome new opportunities, relationships and insights with open arms wherever the wind takes me. Coming back from Ghana, I hope to return as a more knowledgeable and self-aware individual with international travel and work experience in their back pocket.
Feel free to follow my QE Scholar adventures via instagram (@fredrizc).
See you all soon!