“It’s amazing to be able to give girls the gift of someone who believes in them, wants to champion them and their dreams and help them navigate how to get there."
— Melody Ho ('10)
When Melody Ho (Holmes) first returned to Canada after teaching English in China for two years, she didn’t know what she might do next or where she would end up.
Teaching English overseas was Melody’s first job after graduating with a Linguistics degree and TESOL certificate. While weighing the option of returning to B.C., she soon found work in her hometown, Calgary, A.B., an opportunity that she describes “turned out to be the perfect fit.”
Helping new Canadians
"I love the work that I do...It leverages volunteerism with mentorship to impact lives."
Melody has now been working in the non-profit sector for 10 years, primarily helping new Canadians. She feels fortunate to have had many opportunities to engage with activities that she is passionate about, including volunteerism, youth work, and welcoming newcomers to the country.
“I love the work that I do,” says Melody, who currently works with Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA). Melody explains that the organization’s focus is on empowering immigrant women with the outcome that when women are empowered, whole families can be empowered to succeed in Canada.
CIWA provides a variety of services from language classes to programs that bridge people to employment opportunities. Melody works specifically with youth in a career mentorship program.
In her work, she pairs newcomer and immigrant girls in high school with volunteer mentors who help these young women to discover their ambitions after graduation and to know how to advance towards reaching those dreams.
As Melody describes, “It leverages volunteerism with mentorship to impact lives.”
How mentorship changes lives
Working directly with young women, Melody has seen first-hand the results of her efforts. “It’s amazing to be able to give girls the gift of someone who believes in them, wants to champion them and their dreams and help them navigate how to get there,” she says.
Some of the youth that Melody works with are the first generation in their family to attend college. Some are navigating a variety of family or societal pressures. Along this rugged path towards adulthood, Melody has seen how beneficial it is for youth to have a mentor—“someone further down the road to provide perspective.”
Finding a career that’s rewarding 
Many experiences accumulated to help Melody find her calling and a career that she finds very rewarding.
“I got out [of university] and realized that even if things are not building up a certain way or going at the speed or direction that you want them to, God is still at work.”
Practicum experience gained through working at an ESL school connected to Trinity Western, for example, provided Melody with relevant training to land her first job teaching in China.
TWU student leadership experiences helped as well. Through working as a student leader in the International Student Programs (ISP), Melody built many great relationships. Three years of serving on the ISP team allowed Melody to see up close what the process of coming to a new place is like. This provided her with a level of empathy and understanding that would prepare her for her future work with young adults and new immigrants.
The diverse community on campus further provided Melody with a global perspective. Melody lived in the international students’ dorm on campus where she helped to create a welcoming environment for students coming from many countries.
All in all, she was able to apply many of the things that she learned through student leadership to form part of the skill set that helped her secure employment after graduation.
“I learned a lot about what I’m like, what I’m good at, and what I’m not good at. You won’t know until you’ve lived through it,” she says on lessons learned through student leadership.
Encouragement for future and new graduates
Gleaning the best of what she’s learned from her own journey, Melody offers this encouragement to future and new graduates.
- Get involved, gain experiences
Melody challenges students to broaden their experiences, even while at university. “Find a way to make your degree more than just about going to classes,” she says. “We learn and gain skills from our experiences, which in turn will build into our futures as well.”
- Be faithful in the midst of challenge
When something is hard or a struggle, Melody encourages, “Have faith that those experiences won’t be wasted.” She continues, “Regardless of whether something’s fun, easy, and makes us feel awesome—or if it’s challenging—know that God is growing something in us, so that He can work through us.”
- Volunteer to build skills and network
Volunteering served as a gateway for Melody into one of her jobs, and she has hired volunteers into paid positions as well. “If there’s a cause or population that you’re passionate about, find a way to volunteer with them,” Melody says. “Volunteering can be a great way to build skills, build a network, and be involved in something you are passionate about.”
[Know that] God is the one who knits it all together. As you faithfully do whatever it is that He’s put in front of you to do, He’s going to be glorified, and it’s going to turn into something beautiful in your life and for other people,”
Life after graduation is non-linear 
During her student days, when Melody had looked to alumni for inspiration, she had found that their journeys seemed less straightforward and more “twisty-turny” than she’d expected. She wondered how a person’s disparate experiences could add up in a meaningful way.
Then Melody went on her own non-linear journey.
“I got out [of university] and realized that even if things are not building up a certain way or going at the speed or direction that you want them to, God is still at work.”
She describes how God’s work can sometimes feel like a “patchwork quilt” where the final product is not yet clear. Yet, she offers encouragement.
“If you’re a new grad wondering, ‘Do various jobs equal a vocation or calling?’ [Know that] God is the one who knits it all together. As you faithfully do whatever it is that He’s put in front of you to do, He’s going to be glorified, and it’s going to turn into something beautiful in your life and for other people,” she says.
She encourages new grads to not grow discouraged if they don’t get the exact kind of job they wanted, at the timing that they want. “It will build,” she says, referring to the accumulation of our experiences and life skills.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts University. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.
Image credit Ashkan Forouzani from Unsplash.
The views expressed by students and alumni are their own. They do not necessarily represent the views of Trinity Western University or of any other companies, groups or organizations named.