People in Profile
Dr. Sandra Efu
No stranger to hard work, Dr. Sandra Efu is working hard to make her community a better place for everyone. And so it often goes, it was work that first brought Sandra to the region.
No stranger to hard work, Dr. Sandra Efu is working hard to make her community a better place for everyone. And so it often goes, it was work that first brought Sandra to the region.
“It was a job for my husband, actually. He got a job here and moved earlier in the year,” she said, looking back to 2013. “I was still in Halifax at the time, working at Mount Saint Vincent University, pregnant with our daughter. I had her in July, and we moved up to join him here in September that same year.
We’ve loved it ever since. It’s an amazing community. We’ve been really fortunate, and I love doing what I can to give back to the community, helping to grow it into a better place."
Once she settled in, Sandra got to work on giving back. She joined Suncor as a project manager for the Social Prosperity Wood Buffalo (SPWB) initiative. SPWB was a collaborative partnership created to help build resources and support for local social profit organizations at a time when they were struggling to meet the needs of the community.
By 2015 Sandra had moved on to Keyano College, where her work continues today. In her time and tenure, she has taught first to fourth year Business and Economics courses, served as manager of the International Education Office, and Director of Student Services. She currently serves as Vice President, Academic and Student Experience .
She’s also helped grow the International Student Recruitment Program. “We were able to get that going at the college, not only to grow the number of students, but to help attract and retain newcomers to the region.”
Elsewhere, Sandra has volunteered as the Director at Large for the 2023 Arctic Winter Games.
Even in her spare time, Sandra does not sit still. “I’m a bit of a sports junkie,” she said with a smile. “I run, play badminton, I play soccer, I coach soccer. My daughter has also picked up soccer, so it’s nice to have something we can enjoy together.”
When asked how she manages her time and responsibilities:
I always say that time is elastic, it bends to our will. If you’re not able to plan accordingly, it gets eaten up by other things. It’s the act of staying on top of what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.”
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