You pushed through and made it

Good evening,

My name is Malini Giridhar, and I am the Vice President of Business Development & Regulatory at Enbridge Gas. I am honoured to speak with you today at this momentous occasion.

Enbridge Gas has been a proud sponsor of Pathways to Education Canada | Passeport pour ma réussite Canada throughout the years. We recognize the importance of supporting the communities we serve and understand education is the tool needed to break down various employment barriers in the workforce.

With your high school graduation, you are at the start of something great in your life and for this grand achievement, I sincerely congratulate you.

You’ve conquered some tough odds against you. As you know, Scarborough Village is a resilient community rich in diversity but perhaps not so rich in community infrastructure. By that I mean things like access to affordable housing and transit, gathering spaces for learning opportunities and creating networks.

Despite these odds, you did not let these obstacles before you, define you…you pushed through and studied long and hard and in the process demanded the best of yourself.

Your determination to succeed helped you reach great heights. You completed high school and successfully participated in the Pathways to Education program, too!

Now armed with your high school diploma, you will quickly understand how many doors will now open before you. As education is truly the pathway forward towards a great career.

You see, graduating from high school is the first major milestone you will achieve in your young lives. I can personally attribute my professional achievements to education.

As a child, I was very fortunate to have parents who believed in the power of education. My parents worked hard and made enormous sacrifices to ensure I got the education I needed to be successful in life.

You will be successful too. You completed the first step of your academic career and with your diploma, your education passport, you can now pursue university, college, trades, and apprenticeships – the options are endless!

I am very proud of each of you. You demonstrated flexibility and adaptability especially during a time when your school environment had many restrictions. You did not have in-person learning, there was an absence of extra-curricular activities, field trips, social clubs – so many initiatives were put on hold due to COVID-19.

You pushed through during a global pandemic and made the abrupt pivot to online learning. You worked hard to achieve your goals and this resiliency you displayed over the last few years – helped you to achieve your greatest feat today – high school graduation!

It is important for me to mention, the determination you’ve demonstrated over the last two and a half years, will follow you for the rest of your lives. One life lesson I learned, sometimes you will face obstacles in your path, which are out of your control. However, how you respond to these obstacles will help you overcome it.

I remember a time when I applied to numerous jobs and no one would hire me. I was very discouraged and it must have showed in the way I came across. One day I received a phone from a person I had applied to. He called to tell me he did not have a job for me, but he said if you sound so sad no one will give you a job!

When I changed my approach to my job search, that’s when I was able to achieve the most success. I stopped leaving sad voicemails on the phones of hiring managers and started being more enthusiastic and optimistic when I interacted with hiring managers.

Eventually someone hired me, and I finally got the chance to prove myself.

I share these stories with you because some of you may one day consider Enbridge as your employer of choice.

One way you can experience what Enbridge has to offer, is through our Summer Student Program. Recruiting for our summer program typically happens at the beginning of each year.

Students have the opportunity to join an exciting industry with lots of growth opportunities, networking, development, mentorship, employee resource groups and so on.

Many summer students return for subsequent summers, move to new departments, and learn about a different part of the business. And some summer students move into full-time positions upon graduation with relevant and professional work experience already under their belt.

There are many employment opportunities to consider…. from field operations to office positions and now we are at the cusp of energy transition so the opportunities will continue to grow.

It has been an absolute honour to speak to you this evening. I offer my congratulations to you again and let me encourage you… Don't underestimate the power of your dreams.?So, continue to celebrate your uniqueness, stand out and be comfortable in your own skin.

Your future, and the opportunities in front of you, are endless and yours to decide. Embrace the opportunities that come your way and I hope to see some of you at Enbridge as you embark on your careers.

Thank you.