Meet the team
Jana Petrone (she/her), Director, Academic, Career, and Experiential Education
As a proud alumnus of UBC’s Okanagan campus with a BA in International Relations, I went on to complete a Master’s Degree at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom and spent over a decade traveling and working in the UK, Cote D’Ivoire, Vietnam, and Toronto. I was excited to return to UBC Okanagan to help support students explore their career and life pathways during university and beyond.
Christine Squire (she/her), Manager Career Development and Interdisciplinary Co-op
Christine started life on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Mississauga, in the territory covered by the Williams Treaty in southern Ontario. Growing up in such a beautiful place was instrumental in encouraging Christine to explore this wonderful country and its lands.
Like all great adventures, her journey has been a twisty one starting with a degree in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University in lovely Halifax Nova Scotia. After realizing that being a Marine Biologist is not like “on TV” she decided after much reflection, and many on campus jobs, to move into Student Services at Dalhousie. Residence Life and Advising were her chosen paths but then when it was time for a change she decided to create her own job and became the only student recruiter for Dalhousie that lived away from campus, specifically in Vancouver.
She joined UBCO as an Academic Advisor in 2013 and fell in love with the people and land. Being a guest on the traditional and unceded lands of the Syilx Okanagan nation means she has undertaken the responsibility to learn from elders and respect her place here, while guiding students on their personal journeys of success. Looking back you can find many moments of career development practice in her journey so it is no wonder she wound up here on the Career Development team.
Carly Cameron (she/her), Industry & Employer Engagement Specialist
Carly came to Kelowna in November of 2020 from Waterloo, Ontario, situated on the land traditionally cared for by the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe and Neutral Peoples. Carly joined the Academic & Career Development team in August of 2021 in a new role as the Industry and Employer Engagement Specialist.
Carly holds a Masters of Economic Development & Innovation from the University of Waterloo, with a special topic on connecting innovation to industry. Carly has been working in post-secondary institutions for the past 7 years in experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and employer relations.
Carly is passionate about bridging the gap and building relationships between external industries and employers with the University of British Columbia Okanagan. There are so many talented and hard-working students that deserve to be recruited at an early stage and Carly is excited to support the networking, and connections between employers and students.
Outside of work, Carly spends time being part of the Okanagan Young Professionals Committee, a Connector for the COEDC Connector Program, and spending time exploring new hikes with her golden retriever, Tilly. Carly truly lives for the four-season Kelowna weather!
Rachel Hussey (she/her), Career Development Specialist
Since 2018 UBC has become Rachels home. Rachel came to Kelowna in 2018 to begin her undergraduate degree in psychology from a small town called Puslinch, Ontario. Rachel grew up in the country side where close knit community ties were a foundation in her upbringing, making UBC Okanagan the perfect place to build roots and connections.
In Rachels second year at UBC Okanagan she became a Residence Advisor and instantly fell in love with supporting students on campus. After Rachels first introduction to student support roles she continued to pursue this passion by becoming involved in many student clubs/initiatives (Jack.org, Step Above Stigma, Thrive Month) as well as working on campus whenever she could.
To merge Rachels two passions of student support in higher education and psychology she decided to continue her education at the masters level following the completion of her undergrad in 2022. Rachel began her masters in developmental psychology in the fall of 2022 at UBC Vancouver. During this time she continued to submerse herself in her on campus work and student involvement. While in Vancouver she worked as a Career Advisor, Research Assistant as well as Sessional Instructor in the Faculty of Education. Although Rachel is thankful for her time on the UBC Vancouver campus she was thrilled to move back to her home in Kelowna to join the Academic and Career Development team as the Career Development Specialist while finishing up her masters research in student resilience.
Rachel is passionate about supporting student development throughout their whole degree. She uses a relational approach as her foundation to aid in students career growth and exploration while attending university. Rachel has a deepened love for people and is constantly amazed by the student stories which emerge in the UBC Okanagan community.
Doug Surtees (he/him), Industry & Employer Engagement Specialist – International
Doug grew up in in the lower mainland of BC and has a BBA from the University of the Fraser Valley and a post graduate diploma in Immigration Consulting. Shortly after graduating, Doug solo road tripped coast to coast across Canada and discovered his love of meeting new people. Hearing the stories of people from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds and learning about the wide range of skills and talents people possess inspired Doug to seek a career in recruitment.
Having spent the last 10 years working with employers and job seekers to match rare talent with careers in a range of industries such as engineering, finance, healthcare and technology for both large and small firms. As a result of searching for the best talent, Doug developed knowledge around global mobility and eventually pursued formal education in immigration.
Joining the UBC team in 2023, he is keen to use his understanding of employment processes and practices, industry connections and problem solving abilities to better connect employers with the top international talent graduating from UBC every year. By understanding org hierarchies, processes and common systemic barriers Doug strives to ensure the UBC’s international students are not only considered for great roles upon graduating, but that businesses are equipped to help those hires perform their best.
In his spare time, Doug is found at his cabin, on his motorbike, or in his garden. He loves talking to strangers and would love to hear from you if you have any questions about building a career in Canada.
Leonardo Santos (he/him), Career Development Specialist – International
Leonardo is a curiosity-driven person, passionate about the potential of education to shape the future of work. With nearly ten years of experience in the educational field, Leonardo has focused on designing and implementing experiential learning activities that develop education-to-career skills.
Leonardo’s curiosity has taken him to universities throughout North and South America and Europe, where he has gained a better understanding of the challenges facing higher education worldwide. He has been inspired by the various ways institutions are rethinking traditional learning models. He is ready to support students explore their career pathways, designing, and achieving meaningful goals.
His non-traditional career journey has led him to commit to making the higher education experience even more impactful and transformative for students. Leonardo holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from UFMG and a Specialization in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from UFSCAR.
Emilio Freire (he/him), Program Coordinator, On-Campus Work Integrated Learning
Originally from Ecuador, Emilio moved to Canada in 2017 to pursue his studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in political science from UBCO. At UBC Okanagan, he worked closely with international and domestic students as an orientation leader, a teaching assistant, and a student representative in the UBC Okanagan Students’ Union. Further, he completed UBCO’s Co-op program as Project Coordinator at the Global Engagement Office (GEO).
Outside work, he served as president of the Latin American Students Organization, leading events to represent Latin American culture on campus. He also sits on the National Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Youth Advisory Group, which serves as a forum for engagement between youth and policy-makers on a wide range of immigration issues.
Throughout his professional journey as a student, he recognized the importance of Experiential Learning in shaping his development. Driven by this, he is committed to creating opportunities for other students.
In his free time, you can find Emilio playing soccer, swimming at the lake, or volunteering in the community.
Angela Norkum-Porubanec (she/her), Experiential Education Coordinator
Angela began her career at UBCO in 2018 with the Centre for Teaching and Learning. She then held a term appointment in the Provost Office as an Academic Integrity and Initiatives Project Manager and most recently worked in the Library. Angela holds a BA in Psychology from UBCO and a Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate from Okanagan College. Before joining UBCO, she spent a year teaching high school English in Japan.
In her free time, Angela enjoys hiking and walking with her dog and husband, reading, experimenting with new cooking and baking projects, and watching Formula 1.
Location
Academic & Career Advising
UNC 207 (University Centre)
3272 University Way
Kelowna, BC Canada
V1V 1V7
