50 Faces of SECC – Bas

Phoolsonbat, who refers to himself as Bas, is from Thailand. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and took on full-time work as an automation and production engineer. As a result of his education and work experience, Bas has a vast range of engineering skills and is also proficient in many computer software and programming skills.

He and his brother Luke arrived in Canada on a cold, blustery day in February 2021. He recalls being excited to experience snow for the first time. Bas quickly got a job at a local assembly plant and started attending English Classes for Newcomers (LINC) at SECC. On a typical day, Bas arrives at school with a big smile on his face, graciously greets his classmates and teacher and begins learning. After class, he returns home and enjoys lunch with his brother, continues practising his English skills and then goes to work from 3pm to 12am. While at work, he often listens to English podcasts to further improve his language skills. Recently, because of Bas’s credentials, work experience, and with the support of SECC’s Career Hub, he was accepted to the YMCA’s Power of Trades pre-apprenticeship program. He will begin this month and is thrilled to be working in his field of expertise once again. In the future, Bas plans to complete his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Bas is always positive, kind and determined. He can be counted on to help his classmates and graciously offers his support. He eagerly participates in group activities and has a natural ability to make everyone laugh. He is aware of his surroundings and offers his kindness to everyone. His language abilities have improved immensely over the past year because of his drive and willingness to learn. We will miss Bas immensely, but his time in class is just one of many successful stepping stones along his path to greatness. He is on his way to doing many amazing things in his life and we are grateful to have witnessed this small part of it.