Kate sZatmari

Disha Sandhu doesn't dream small. The professional stylist and makeup artist has an image consulting business, ImageGen, and plans to own and operate an online retailing site specializing in women's skin and hair care products.

Her success so far is no accident. "Three years ago, I took a hard look at my life and contemplated on the question, what do I really want out of my career? My contemplations led me to the decision to acquire further training so that I could make a living doing work that I love."

Sandhu, who lived in a rural community in India before moving to Toronto, was unsure of her prospects at first. "As an immigrant newly arrived to Canada, I never thought it possible to complete any form of higher education due to time and financial constraints," she says. But after going to school for image consulting and completing training as a makeup artist, she enrolled in the B.Comm. program in 2009. Now, she's realizing her aspirations for the future.

"A large part of our life is (lived) at work, so having a job that brings you happiness is important.... Careers with meaning, with an abundance of positive human contact, are often recognized as the most fulfilling ones. This includes careers like the makeup artist, stylist or other jobs where you're working with others to improve their lives."

Sandhu concludes, "I'm able to develop deep and meaningful relationships with people, not the superficial ones that are so prevalent in everyday existence. There's deep fulfillment in knowing that the work you do helps to improve others' lives."