Sai Kumar Edupuganti

Computer Systems Technician – Software Engineering, 2011

After receiving a Bachelor’s in Electronics in my native India, I was looking to obtain a degree outside the country to benefit my career over the long term. I chose Canada because of the high academic standards and quality control offered by its post-secondary institutions.

Why Sheridan? I came here mainly for the academic programming and the small class size, not to mention the basketball and the cricket! From 2010-2011, I was a member of Sheridan’s championship Men’s Cricket Team (extramural). The college hosts one of Ontario’s biggest college cricket tournaments and the team went undefeated for two years running.

Today, I work as a Help-desk Tech/Web Programmer for Van Der Graaf, an engineering and manufacturing company (Brampton office). I provide technical support to end users as well as create and maintain databases and reporting systems. Shortly after graduation, I was hired by the company and became a permanent employee within a few months.

Attending Sheridan was a great experience. What surprised me most were the relationships I built with fellow students as well as instructors. I still remember many late nights working on group projects and seminars with other students.

My program gave me a great starting point from which to advance my career. Being an international student with English as a second language was not easy, but through the great support I received from my family and the college, I developed the confidence to move forward. Program Coordinator, Satyendra Narayan, particular, made an outstanding impact on me.

If you're a struggling student, don't be discouraged! I was in your shoes. Take the initiative to contact employers and communicate your enthusiasm and motivation to learn. I'm still a newbie at many things but will become more knowledgeable as I grow in my profession.