People of Georgian: Alumnus finds confidence by trying new things

May 5, 2023

What’s your story?

The Georgian community is full of unique, inspiring perspectives —and we’re sharing them as part of an ongoing series.

People of Georgian: Meet Arjun Batra

Apart from education, the biggest role Georgian played in my career was helping me gain confidence.

When I was a Georgian student, there were not as many international students as there are now, so connecting with students was a little challenging for me because I didn’t speak much English.

At first, I didn’t feel that comfortable talking, but this is where our institution comes in to play.

Georgian staff ‘make you feel valued’

The staff at Georgian are the ones who are truly welcoming. They give you an opportunity to grow, and they make you feel valued.

It was an opportunity for me to adapt to the culture, improve and hone my communication skills and become a more confident person.

When you don’t know anything in life and someone – an entire college – believes in you, that is a game changer.

In 2022, I received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Georgian College Board of Governors’ Awards of Distinction. It was a very, very big respect given to me.

Now, I consider it my responsibility to share my knowledge with the next generation and help them feel more confident and welcomed.

At Georgian, you learn not only technical knowledge, but also humility, empathy and good communication.

‘It is a story of persistence, pushing the limits’

New students may feel uncomfortable or unsure of themselves, but that is when you learn the most. The more you put yourself in challenging positions, the more opportunities you’ll have to grow and contribute.

Be ready to take up new challenges, learn, grow, become uncomfortable and keep moving forward.

For example, I only learned to ski a few years ago, and I feel very proud of that. It is a story of persistence, pushing the limits, and being very uncomfortable with things I hadn’t tried before – but I kept striving.

Arjun’s secret to a happier life

We don’t often spend time on ourselves, but if we do something we enjoy, even something small, it will help us have a happier life. Then we can share that joy with others so they can be part of it.

I’m learning what things matter to me beyond work and success. What do joy and happiness mean to me?

The success of trying new things is very important for a lot of students to learn, and if you keep doing it over and over again, you get better in life.

Arjun Batra, alumnus of Georgian’s Mechanical Engineering Technology – Automotive Manufacturing program (class of 2007) and Co-op Student of the Year in 2007. Arjun also won a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022 from the Georgian College Board of Governors’ Awards of Distinction.