We start in the small town of Appleton, Wisconsin, where 23-year-old Fatima Robertson spent most of her life. She spent her teens on her stepfather’s cattle farm, and although she’s moved around a bit since then, Wisconsin will always be home.
JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL
The thing about high school that stood out for Fatima was her passion for art. It was always one of her favourite subjects and something that came naturally to her, “I’m a creative person, and art is one of my big passions.”
I’m a creative person, and art is one of my big passions.
In grade 12, she was given the opportunity to redo her entire bedroom as an interior design project. This was a year-long project that involved Fatima researching and analyzing interior design techniques to create a virtual inspiration room based on her design. “I always loved doing art projects. I loved the creative process of creating something out of nothing.” This assignment sparked Fatima’s creativity and stood out to her as one of the most exciting projects that she was able to take part in.
Fatima also spent a lot of time in her teens working in childcare. She did everything from babysitting to working at children’s museums and amusement parks to working as a playologist in a daycare. Fatima always assumed that childcare would be the direction her career would eventually take. However, her compassionate and loving personality also inspired her to advocate for animal welfare and hunger relief.
A NEW BEGINNING
Things changed when Fatima and her partner, Kayla, tried navigating a long-distance relationship. And so, she took the leap, not wanting to be apart, and – amid COVID-19 – flew from Appleton to Vancouver to be with Kayla. Once Fatima arrived in Vancouver, she adapted to the hustle of life in a larger city. Somewhere along that route, she decided to jump course from working with children and began exploring a career in marketing.
“I love the creative process, of creating something out of nothing.
AIN’T NO STOPPING HER NOW
You could say that this shift in career path happened naturally. Always creative and artistic, Fatima decided to develop her passions into a career. She began to look at post-secondary schools in the Lower Mainland and came across Stenberg College’s Business Diploma (Marketing Specialization) program. The program’s curriculum and duration immediately drew her in, and she applied!
In the program, Fatima thrived. Her determination and professionalism pushed her to become the top of her class. Her instructor, Natalie Anderson, acknowledged Fatima’s keen eye for colours and aesthetics and her strong work ethic, saying, “From the beginning, Fatima distinguished herself as a creative and articulate student who was ambitious and passionate about the field. I was consistently impressed by the quality of her academic work and marketing projects, her polished and professional presentations, the cleverness of her concepts, her integrity and work ethic, and the originality of her point of view.”
Today, Fatima is a more confident version of herself. The program helped her realize and strengthen her talents. She enjoyed the diversity within the classroom and loved learning from all her classmates of various backgrounds and cultures. Learning about and appreciating cultural diversity has helped her increase her abilities as a Marketer.
Fatima found and successfully secured a remote marketing role at Kelly Media in Toronto. She supported the team by creating graphics, managing social media, and bolstering engagement. Her drive and sense of responsibility quickly helped her gain the trust of her colleagues, who then assigned her the duty of managing her own influencer. Cheryl Kelly, the owner of Kelly Media, spoke about Fatima’s success in the internship, saying, “Stenberg College has provided Kelly Media Services with a well-equipped intern. Fatima has been diligent, knowledgeable, and accountable throughout the past five months. In addition to her professionalism, she is determined to assist all clients with their KPIs and suggests great marketing strategies for small businesses. It was a pleasure working with her.”
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Since graduation, Fatima, Kayla and their dogs have relocated to Kayla’s hometown of Moncton, New Brunswick. Still self-identifying as a “small town girl,” Fatima enjoys life in Moncton.
As for the future, Fatima wants to eventually start her own pet product business. Her two pups, Ginny and August, are her source of inspiration and seem to have already found fame on Instagram through their profile that Fatima manages, @ginnyxauggie_. In fact, Stenberg College was so impressed by Fatima’s portfolio that they hired her to do content production for the Business Diploma (Marketing Specialization) program!
Amidst substantial life changes such as growing confidence, professional growth, and earning a diploma, one thing remains the same: Fatima is a small-town girl with a big, bright future ahead.
