Building a life in Canada – from Brazil to Calgary

Rodrigo Silva Andrade brought his family to Canada in search of a better future. What he discovered was community and confidence #HereAtSAIT.

Rodrigo Silva Andrade was a chemist in Brazil. As a parent of two children, he wanted to secure a safe and stable future for them — Canada appeared to offer both, along with education and healthcare.

With its infrastructure, sunshine and stability, Calgary’s reputation as a livable city became the top choice for Andrade and his family, and SAIT his pick for Canadian education. He soon landed in YYC with his wife and two kids. Calgary was now a reality. Fear and uncertainty clouded his thoughts. Was this the right choice? Would he succeed or fail in this new country?

His lack of confidence wasn’t obvious externally, but he’d tell you he felt it deeply.

“I loved physics, chemistry and mathematics, but technical design was an issue for me. I almost failed in school one time. Being able to choose Architectural Technologies was an opportunity to overcome my youth nightmares.”

Andrade saw his new beginning in Canada as an opportunity to tackle a subject area that had both always interested and challenged him — architecture and design. His background as a chemist in manufacturing companies gave him insight into products created for construction like coating, sealants and adhesives, and now he gets to put those products to work in the field as an architectural technologist.

Although fear of failure may have marked his past, it wouldn’t foreshadow his future. Success, he’d soon find out, was on the horizon in SAIT’s Architectural Technologies Diploma program.

“It was an opportunity to overcome my fear of failure in design.”

At SAIT, his first assignment was researching and designing a birdhouse. In two years, He learned the science and practice of architectural technology. He also learned about building codes, project management and both 3D and 4D modeling, among others. He flexed creative muscles — a change from his chemistry-focused industry experience.

Beyond the hands-on knowledge he acquired, Andrade’s confidence took flight.

“To be able to show my father after 25 years — a diploma in a topic that was so hard for me in the past— is amazing for me.”

He credits one of his instructors, Bill Stang, for being a key character in making him believe he could succeed in his courses. Stang says Andrade is a dream student for any instructor— curious and empathetic. He says he never would have thought Andrade once lacked confidence.

“It is interesting to hear him talk about those struggles,” says Stang. “Because I just knew him as everything I look for in a student, the kind who instantly becomes a mentor to others.”

Andrade with SAIT instructors Bill Stang and Patrick Johnston.

He says Andrade helped others uncover their own confidence in the craft. He gave back to the student community in whatever way he could, serving as an orientation leader at SAIT and joining all the opportunities to connect and network.

Crossing the stage at SAIT’s Fall 2025 Convocation Ceremonies may mark the end of a chapter at SAIT, but Andrade’s journey in Canada is only just beginning. He’s more confident now. He’s discovered if he dares to try, ask and learn, success is just around the corner.

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