Louis Engel

Self, Employed

---

Louis Engel was born and raised on a small island in the Caribbean called St. Maarten. His parents thought it was in his best interest if they sent him to boarding school in Canada. He completed the majority of high school at a boarding school in Ontario and then went on to pursue an Honors Specialization in Biology which was completed in 2013. After struggling to find a job his my field, which was required for permanent residency, he decided that his chances would improve if he was to receive further schooling. Louis enrolled in an online Clinical Trials Management program in 2015 and completed an internship in the field in 2016.

The internship lead to a part-time opportunity with the same company which quickly turned into a full-time opportunity. Louis began his internship in the Clinical Operations department and learned that, plain and simple, it was not for him. He decided to knock on some doors and search for other opportunities within the same company. This landed him in the Sales & Marketing department. Louis began travelling around North America to attend conferences as a representative for the company. One Wednesday night in October 2016 he received news that he was no longer legally allowed to work in Canada anymore. Louis finished his regular day at the office and then hurried over to his second job as a bar tender. Once that shift came to an end he decided to catch up on his emails in preparation for the rest of the week. One of those emails read that his application to remain in Canada had been denied. Louis had to quit both jobs immediately to not risk being deported.

He left Canada in December 2016. He didn’t know what to do. Louis still had his whole life set up there. At that point, Ontario was home for 10 years and it wasn’t time for it to be part of his past. While he was in St. Maarten he completed one last application, one last opportunity to make sure that his time in Canada wasn’t wasted. It worked. Louis made it back but under strict conditions. This permit was good for one year. Enough time for him to meet the remaining requirements necessary for permanent residency.

Louis submitted his application for permanent residency in March 2018 and returned, once again, to St. Maarten for an indefinite amount of time while he waited. After five months of patience he was rewarded with permanent residency. Canada saw his return in August 2018, but not the pharmaceutical industry. He returned to working as a server and bar tender to earn an income after being unemployed for 5 months and battling with lawyer fees. While he worked that job he also prepared his next move. Louis wasn’t sure what it was going to be but he knew that he was not going to get stuck in the food service industry.

His experiences have lead him to develop a passion for overcoming challenge, embracing change, and exploring curiosity. Louis followed his passion then and it continues to lead him today. He allows his curiosity to help him find a way to overcome challenges. Overcoming challenge often requires change. Change can be a result of a new environment or from a new way of thinking. His struggles have built him to become resilient. Louis looks forward to difficult experiences, it is when the greatest lessons are learned.

With his passion came a burning desire to share what he has with as many people as he can, his perspective as a Millenial. This thought lead to him quitting his job as a bar tender and pursuing a career as a speaker. He focuses on sparking curiosity in the individual. Louis’ goal is to inspire personal development and he does so by carrying an inspirational message through storytelling