Featured Alum – Katie Enman

Every Day is a Case Study

Katie Enman, BBA, Class of '09

When I left Crandall in 2009, I moved to Halifax, NS and pursued an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations at Nova Scotia Community College. I'd always had a love for communication and marketing so this seemed like a natural next step. After graduating, I worked for several years in public relations, marketing, and operations in the Halifax region.

In one particular job, I was responsible for overseeing the immigration files for an employer who was supporting foreign workers. Being a Canadian citizen by birth, my knowledge of anything but our home and native land was fairly limited. What were biometrics? Who needs a medical exam? Why were there so many acronyms? I found everything to do with this sector fascinating. I immediately started looking into licensing requirements for regulated consultants but sadly all of the diploma programs were offered on the West Coast and, as a busy working mom of two, this just wasn't feasible for me.

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, most schools went to online learning. This worked out great for me since the Immigration Diploma being offered in Alberta was moved online and in the evenings (with the time change). I completed the full-time program and graduated, with honours, in March 2021 and passed the Entry-to-Practice exam in June 2021.

I incorporated Shoreline Immigration in the fall of 2021 and decided to focus my practice on recruiting students and workers to Atlantic Canada and helping local employers retain overseas talent. I love the East Coast and want more people to discover all the opportunities that await them here.

It hasn't been without its hurdles, of course. Trying to confront the many clichés and misconceptions buried deep within the industry wasn't something I anticipated, but no discipline is without its unique challenges. Having a supportive inner circle has been tremendously helpful.

When I’m not meeting with clients or preparing immigration applications, I can usually be found at my children's elementary school where I've been a volunteer with its Parent Teacher Association since 2018.

We did a lot of business case studies during my time at Crandall. You take a real-world problem, dissect it, figure out the best solution, and present a compelling argument to defend your position. Sometimes you had a week to prepare an analysis, other times you had 24 hours. Learning how to think fast on your feet was taught by professors Robert MacDonald and Heather Steeves, which prepared me for life as a small business owner when everyday is like your own unique case study!