Nancy believes in following your heart, but also taking your brain with you. That’s how she’s lived her life so far. By constantly challenging herself, she’s comfortably taken on, and thrived in, multiple roles from fashion stylist and business tech blogger to marketing strategist and talk show host.

Timera graduated from CEE as an Underwriting Associate in the insurance industry and hasn’t looked back since. Whether it’s internships or her university program, she’s excelled in everything that comes her way, winning awards, and hearts, along the way. She knows her way around numbers and is on the path to becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) one day.

Jason’s ties with CEE go right back to the start as one their first students a decade ago, turning into one of their early success stories. He’s an entrepreneur and founder of the Grandslammer$ apparel brand, an author and true believer in the power, and reward, of doing the grind. Not just because it shows him what he’s capable of, but also because it inspires others to do what seems impossible. In fact, Grandslammer$ produced all of the Who I Really Am hoodies featured in this campaign.

Tafara knows his stuff, but you wouldn’t know it when you hear his modest take on himself. Graduating from CEE’s Production Accounting program, he’s now a Fashion Comm. student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and an RBC scholarship winner. As if that’s not enough, he’s also a mentor at Kerr Street Mission, and an aspiring fashion designer and teacher.

Linda knows all about the importance of being in the moment, as well as capturing one. It’s something that has helped her build a thriving photography studio in Toronto. She often credits CEE for having her back when she was discovering her own strengths. That’s also why she’s still giving back when she can, by helping CEE students find their future paths.

Not long after Selina joined CEE’s Visual Effects (VFX) program, her friends noticed she had a glow about her. She can now tell you why. It was the joy of knowing that she had discovered what she was passionate about – telling people’s stories as a photographer, videographer and documentarian. Today, with a few docs under her belt already, Selina’s well on her way to writing her own future.

If you needed one word to describe Mike, you wouldn’t find it. That’s because he prefers to be seen as a multifaceted individual who tells authentic stories. CEE helped him build on this self-belief and be the unstoppable force he is today, as an up-and-coming producer, director and storyteller.

For Shannon, CEE felt like that rare place where she could have the time, and build the confidence, to discover her future career. With their support, she was soon training as a Visual Effects (VFX) artist, and even landed an internship with the team at HBO’s Handmaid’s Tale for a few months. What makes CEE special, she says, is that they’re deeply committed to helping Black youth thrive.

Graduating from CEE’s film & entertainment, or “E-trades” program, Denzel soon broke into the film industry as a film grip, something he never imagined would be possible for him. Today, he’s still thoroughly enjoying himself in the business, while also working as a kids’ hockey coach. He loves being a creative nomad and is now experimenting with photography.