Meet Our Recruiters: Larry Da Cunha

Larry Da Cunha is an Outreach Student Recruitment Adviser who serves the Toronto area, including the downtown core, Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York. Larry holds a History and Social Science degree and a Social Service Worker diploma, and discovered his passion for working in higher education through a Work Study position he held as a college student.

Can you explain the work you do and how it evolves throughout the year?

I live in Toronto and I grew up there as well, so I'm very familiar with the area.

My goal for the Fall term is to just go to as many recruitment events as I can and connect with as many students and guidance counsellors as possible.

In the Winter term, things get a lot more selective and specific. We identify high schools that often send us a lot of students in certain programs — some schools are big in business, other schools are really good in trades — and then visit them to hold workshops about those programs.

“One big thing I tell students is to get a job... Employers value work experience alongside a credential. If you grind it out and gain experience, you're going to learn things.”

How does your personal experience inform the way you're able to connect with high school students considering postsecondary?

One big thing I tell students is to get a job. I worked a lot of odd jobs when I was younger, like hockey timekeeper, security guard, landscaper, in a grocery store and in a chicken factory. That really helped me build my career because I felt that if I could survive working the night shift in a chicken factory, I could survive anything!

I also tell students that employers value work experience alongside a credential. If you grind it out and gain experience, you're going to learn things. I really encourage pursuing Work Study jobs, because what better way to offset some of your tuition costs than by the school paying you?

Another way I connect with students is by reading the room and then adapting. I recently had a high school teacher warn me that a lot of kids in his class might not be interested in my presentation because many of them felt they were just going to inherit their parents' businesses. I completely adjusted my presentation to include the fact that my parents owned their own businesses too, then talked about the realities and challenges that come with running a business. Suddenly, the students were locked into everything I said and seeking my advice afterwards.

What are your favourite things about Sheridan?

I love all three of our campuses. They're all beautiful and they all offer something unique. I also think the programs we offer are phenomenal. In a program like mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, you have a rare opportunity to get a lot of one-on-one teaching, rather than being one of 300 people in a lecture hall.

But my favourite thing is the people. I love the people I work with; they're all super approachable and never make me feel uncomfortable for asking a question. And the faculty really do care. Many of them want to come with us to these recruitment events and promote Sheridan, and they'll immediately answer any questions I forward to them from prospective students.