Suilen Sung spent a happy and emotional day becoming a Canadian citizen on Monday – an honour she does not take lightly.
Suilen has been a Client Care Coordinator at Classic LifeCare’s Vancouver office since February. She is thrilled to be a citizen of Canada.
What becoming a Canadian citizen means to Suilen:
“It was amazing, and also emotional. My parents went through so much to give us a better life. It was a hard change for them to move to India and then to Canada. The cultural and language barriers are difficult, especially when you’re older. But for all of us – my parents and three sisters – Canada is home.”
Suilen’s journey from Burma to Canada
When she was very young, Suilen’s parents moved their family from Burma to India to seek refuge from discrimination and political conflict. After five years in India, in 2003, the Canadian government helped them move to Canada as assisted refugees.
They first arrived in Quebec, where they spent two years, before moving to the West Coast of Canada.
“I feel like my story allows me to relate to a lot of the employees of Classic LifeCare,” she says. “I interact with a lot of employees, many who are Indian. We all have our own story and sometimes those stories allow us to see where the other is coming from.”
Suilen says she wakes up in the morning and is happy to come to work.
“I am a people person, so I really love helping the clients and I love my coworkers, who are all so nice. I am learning so much about patience and listening through this role, which I am so grateful for. The culture at Classic LifeCare is incredible. It feels like home to me.”
Now that she’s officially a citizen, she says her favorite part of Canada is the people.
“I love how diverse Canada is. People respect diversity. You can be yourself, no matter what that is, and still call yourself Canadian.”
