Meet Edgar, now leading TasTAFE's international business development team, who arrived in Tasmania 25 years ago as a Chinese-Canadian teen when the island was far less diverse. He had to adjust from Canada's natural multiculturalism to Tasmania's quieter, more reserved ways. A five-year visa limbo nearly split him from his new wife until a last-minute letter to politician Andrew Wilkie turned things around.

Edgar channeled his own struggles and experiences into helping students like me as an international student advisor previously. During the tough COVID days, he didn't just clock in from home—he wrote letters to cut through border chaos and funded his initiative of the "Tassie Devil" food drops to support struggling international students. He gets it. He's been there.

Now, he's working on a bigger vision: growing TasTAFE's global presence and encouraging it to welcome more international students, all while living out his "pay it forward" belief.

Timeline

02:19 Edgar's Tassie beginning and his tough journey to getting permanent residency

06:58 How his decade long career at TasTAFE started with rejections and a fortunate twist

11:26 Life as an international student advisor during turbulent COVID times

37:52 Stepping into his current role as manager after a triple promotion

44:34 Insights from his recent Asia trip to boost TasTAFE's global reach

54:57 His first impression of Tasmania, having moved from Hong Kong almost 25 years ago

69:37 Growing up in a diverse small town in Canada, unlike Tasmania's quieter scene

74:21 Edgar's advice for migrants and those dreaming of a new start

Music Credit

• acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0
• acoustic guitar melody picking relaxing by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Creative Commons 0

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