Lakehead University a second home to the Carlinos

For the Carlino siblings, Lakehead University became a home away from home, a place to learn how to learn, to meet new people and grow and push their limits while obtaining the skills needed to work in their desired careers.

Rosa, Sam, and Daniela – who were raised in Schreiber, Ontario – graduated from Lakehead University and launched successful careers in law, the pulp and paper industry, and business, respectively.

Rosa received an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and then a Master of Science in Management, both at Lakehead. She then went to the University of Windsor to study law and is now a lawyer with Cheadles LLP in Thunder Bay, practicing corporate/commercial law, real estate law, and wills and estate law.

“My most vivid memories from Lakehead had to do with both staff and students in my faculty as well as my experience in residence,” Rosa says.

“I made so many friends in the Faculty of Business; people who helped me get through the challenges that come with post secondary education by being a friend. We worked hard, but knew when to take breaks and have fun.”

Since finishing post secondary, Rosa has passed the bar exam and been called to the Ontario Bar, chaired the Board for the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, received a Shift – Young Professional’s Top 20 Under 40 Northern Ontario Visionary Award for Leadership, and volunteered with Camp Quality.

She wants to one day open her own business, but says the idea is a secret and she will only tell you about it if you are a potential investor.

Her advice to future students is “don’t stress too much about acing every test – in the end, a couple years out of university, no one will care what your marks were. And, meet new people, step out of your comfort zone and try new things.”

Sam earned his degree in Business Administration at Lakehead in 2007, where he made new friends from all over the world.

After graduation he spent a few years working at the mill in Terrace Bay, and then became a successful applicant to junior trades. He earned his instrumentation technician certificate and red seal from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

“I believe my education at Lakehead played a role in my achievement,” he says. “Lakehead was influential in helping me attain my instrumentation certification. The skills I developed from earning my degree translated into success.”

Sam now works as an instrumentation technician at AV Terrace Bay. He says future students should keep in mind how much their past can benefit them.

“Even if the career you end up with is not the career you originally pursued, your experiences and skills will always help you.”

Daniela applied her skills and experiences to graduate from Confederation College’s film production program and then she earned her Honours Bachelor of Commerce at Lakehead in 2017. Now she runs a very successful photography and video business.

“I have a lot of great memories from Lakehead,” she says. “As dorky as it sounds, many of those memories involve studying for exams and working on papers with my classmates, which stand out because it was always a team setting. The camaraderie among students at Lakehead truly helped create the perfect community and network. I met some of my best friends at Lakehead.”

She appreciated that Lakehead’s business program focused on “current and relevant subjects. In addition, I completed a lot of the work in team settings, which mirrors what many workplace experiences are like. My time at Lakehead helped me learn how to strategize, prioritize, be a good team member and, most importantly, handle stress.”

Those skills recently helped Daniela when she completed a short documentary film about the Nipigon River and its famous brook trout, inspired by meeting retired Ministry of Natural Resources biologist Rob Swainson.

“He explained how locals from Nipigon worked to save and rehabilitate the dwindling brook trout population,” she says. “His story was so enchanting that we teamed up to produce the documentary. It was really moving to have a passionate group of locals trust me with their story.”

The film, Nipigon Brook Trout – Fish of Legend, can be watched on YouTube.

Daniela says future students should consider getting involved in the community, “whether it be through a volunteer program or a networking event – do it. You never know who you’ll meet or who might inspire you.”

Believe it or not, another Carlino sibling is currently pursuing a degree at Lakehead.

Antonella is in the final year of the Honours Bachelor of Arts Education (Music) program at Lakehead and she looks forward to starting her career as a high school music teacher.

It sounds as if Antonella took her sister Rosa’s advice on not being afraid to try new things.

“When I first started at Lakehead I was a biology student, but I saw a poster for music electives so I decided to explore the department,” Antonella says.

“Now, the next thing I know I’m in my fourth year of music and also president of the student association. If I did not go out of my comfort level four years ago, I would not have had the many great experiences that I’ve had as a music student.

“I take every opportunity I can to participate around the university as Lakehead holds different events for students every day,” she says.