Maria Paula Gonzalez R. is originally from Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela. She moved to Canada in June 2024 and has since been actively giving back to the community that supported her settlement journey.

She first learned about Immigrant Services Calgary through the Active Engagement and Integration Project, a pre-arrival program offered by IRCC. Connecting with ISC before arriving in Canada helped her feel informed and supported as she prepared for her new life in Calgary.

Maria Paula volunteers with ISC in Customer Care Support at the front desk and with Interpretation Services. She is motivated by a strong desire to give back to the organization that supported her during her own settlement process. Being part of a community that shares guidance, experiences, and hope with newcomers is deeply meaningful to her.

What she enjoys most about volunteering is connecting with people, listening to their stories, and offering support during an important transition in their lives. Helping others feel welcomed and understood is something she finds especially rewarding.

Before coming to Canada, Maria Paula built a diverse professional background as a Chemical Engineer with extensive experience in Human Resources and Customer Service. She has over 18 years of combined professional experience across the oil and gas, energy, environmental, food, transit, and consulting sectors. Her work allowed her to balance analytical problem-solving with empathy, using both technical knowledge and human understanding to support people and organizations.

Maria Paula plans to continue volunteering with ISC. Supporting meaningful causes has always been an important part of her life, from breast cancer awareness initiatives to working with children with cancer and supporting foster animals in her home country. Continuing to help others in Canada feels like a natural extension of who she is.

She encourages others to volunteer because it creates a sense of purpose, strengthens community connections, and allows people to make a positive impact while growing both personally and professionally.