About

Gwen has lived in Canada all her life but loves the cultural diversity of the country. She received a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies in 2013 and taught English as a Second Language for 15 years before she started her role as the Program Director for Eastman Immigrant Services. The time in the classroom impacted her love and understanding of different cultures and gave her a greater awareness of the joys and challenges of newcomers to Canada. Gwen and her husband live in Blumenort, MB, love to ride motorcycle and have two sons. She loves to read, garden and travel.

Tessa lives in Steinbach with her husband Isi and their two daughters. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies from Providence College, TESOL certificate from Steinbach Bible College and worked in HR before starting the charity of Island Breeze Manitoba in 2009. She is involved in the newcomer community through her volunteer work with Cultures in the City each year as well as pioneering other events that feature the sharing of different cultural expressions in the community. Tessa finds joy in seeing people learn new things about other cultures for the first time, as well as learning herself.

Tessa has had many cross cultural experiences in the last 20 years spending time in Fiji (where her husband is from), Thailand, Ukraine, Australia, Cuba, and Nunavut to name a few examples. She is also connected to the business community and has served on the Steinbach Chamber’s Community Relations Committee for seven years and on the Board of Directors for two years. Tessa enjoys traveling, reading books on leadership and spending time with her family.

Marina has been with Eastman Immigrant Services since 2006 and has enjoyed meeting newcomers from all around the world, assisting them with various settlement needs. She was born in Steinbach, but has lived outside of Canada for over 20 years. She studied overseas and has worked in an international organization in Vienna, Austria. Marina enjoys traveling, and has visited over 30 countries.

Inna loves to learn about new cultures, religions and international cuisine and has a master’s degree in Philology. She adores working with people, especially in a diverse community. In Ukraine, Inna worked as a personal assistant, English Camp Manager, guest relation agent in a hotel, and as a travel advisor at Champion League in Kiev with Real Madrid fans. She also enjoyed the experience of working in 5-star hotel in Dubai as a guest experience agent. Inna likes to learn new things and travel.

Born and raised right here in southeast Manitoba, Amber has enjoyed life in Canada. As a young girl, she did not experience much cultural diversity around her, but moving to the big city of Ottawa for university changed that for her in the best way possible. Amber received a bachelor’s degree in English and Communications in 2007 from Carleton University and has been working in the communications/public relations field ever since.  She began working as the Communications Coordinator on a contract-basis with the Steinbach Chamber in 2016, and started doing the same for EIS in 2020.  Amber, her husband, and three children live in the country between Steinbach and La Broquerie. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, chasing chickens and chauffeuring her children to all the things.

Erna was born in Paraguay to Canadian parents and moved to Canada at the age of 7. She still vividly remembers the joys and struggles of adapting to a new culture. She lived in Canada until 2007 when she, along with her husband and 3 children moved to Bolivia for 10 years to work for a Canadian Mission Organization. It was there that she once again experienced the joys and struggles of adapting to a new culture. She has a Diploma in Biblical Counseling and gathered a wealth of understanding and experiences in getting to know several different people groups and languages.

Michael was born and raised in Winnipeg. After high school, he moved to Southern Ontario to live and study at the Toronto School of Business. After 6 years in Ontario, Michael moved back to Winnipeg to complete a degree at the University of Manitoba. After graduating from the U of M , he moved to South Korea to teach English. There he met his wife and their daughter was born. After 7 years in South Korea and the Philippines, Michael returned to Canada with his family. In his spare time, Michael enjoys spending time with family, traveling, meeting with friends, and playing/watching sports.

Mozhgan was born, raised and studied medicine in Tehran, Iran. She worked as a general practitioner and university lecturer, and also as a volunteer physician in Iran Red Crescent. In 2018, after meeting with the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce, Mozhgan’s family decided to run their business in Steinbach and in 2021, they moved to Steinbach and launched BMS Medical & Health Equipment.

Mozhgan enjoys meeting newcomers from all around the world and assisting them with their different settlement needs. She is married and has one son. In her spare time, Mozhgan enjoys spending time with family and reading books.

In addition to speaking English and Farsi (Persian), Mozhgan is also familiar with Turkish and Arabic.

Trisha was born in the Philippines and migrated to Canada in 2017 with her family. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education Major in Special Education and worked as a Licensed Teacher before migrating to Canada. Trisha worked with EIS in 2019-2020, during which she found her true passion in life is to help newcomers settle and be informed about Canada. It was a passion that did not stop and she is so pleased to be back working with EIS again. In her free time, Trisha loves travelling, camping, making and enjoying food, and hanging out with her family and friends.

Catherine is originally from Manitoba, having moved back here three years ago and now resides in the Interlake, just outside of Gimli. She has a background in Social Services and holds a certificate in Family Mediation from the Justice Institute in British Columbia. Catherine has extensive experience working with Indigenous people, families and children in various capacities. Catherine and her husband have two daughters, four grandchildren and an enormous dog! When she’s not working, you can find her enjoying canoeing, camping, and gardening.

Barb was born and raised in Canada but moved several times as a child. Each new place had its own culture and she learned to adapt and discover the nuances of each new place. She graduated from Red River College with a diploma in Business Administration and has several years of experience as an Administrator. Barb enjoys learning new things and her desire to grow and learn about new cultures developed from traveling and working with an international organization. She is passionate about helping immigrants find meaningful work in Canada. Barb resides in Linden, MB with her husband. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, watching a good movie, spending time with family, and hanging out at home.

Joelle Klassen joins Eastman Immigrant Services as our first-ever Coordinator of the new HIPPY Program (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters). She has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba and a Certificate of TESL from Providence College. Joelle’s passion for teaching led her to teach middle years in Hanover School Division for nine years and ESL through Red River College for five years.  Born and raised in Manitoba, Joelle’s experiences of travelling and teaching English has drawn her in to the growing multicultural community of her hometown. She now enjoys the country life near Grunthal with her husband and two kids. You can usually find Joelle working in her garden, crafting, or sitting on her deck with her dog and a good book.

Donna is originally from England, where she achieved a BA Honours in Journalism. She started her career in the healthcare field working as a medical secretary, first in a medical center and then in a specialized cancer hospital. Donna emigrated with her husband and young son to Canada in the fall of 2017, which provided them with a short period of time to acclimatize before their first Canadian winter! Before joining the EIS HIPPY program, Donna was a stay at home mom, looking after her two young children. In her spare time, Donna enjoys reading, playing with her children and going on adventures to explore Manitoba and its wildlife.

Marcel was born in Brazil, graduated from University of Wales in Missional Leadership and has a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Former CEO for a non-profit organization in Brazil, Marcel arrived in Canada in 2017 with a wealth of knowledge in community development. He loves diversity and trying out foods from different cultures. Learn more about Eastman Region Immigration Partnerships.

René was born and raised in Germany. He moved to Canada in 2006 and completed his high school diploma. He pursued Biblical Studies in Germany.

Back in Canada he attended Providence University to complete his M.A. in TESOL. In 2018 he went to Japan for a year to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Through his studies and international experience, he is fully aware of all the hardship and challenges that newcomers face when moving into a new country. René is married and has three children. He enjoys connecting with children and teenagers. His hobbies include LEGO, running, Kendo, and board games.

Kade was born and raised in Manitoba but moved back and forth across the province a few times granting him the opportunity to make new friends in several locations. Growing up, Kade lived at a Bible camp for four and a half years, was homeschooled his whole life, and really enjoyed spending time with his eight younger siblings and playing hockey. Today, Kade is passionate about music and loves to sing and write songs. He enjoys spending time with his wife, reading novels, playing and watching sports, and making music.