Former Pinay Nanny in Hong Kong, Now President and CEO of Private School in Canada

Meet Abby Villanueva, a former nanny-turned-school owner

ABBY VILLANUEVA – A former nanny in Hong Kong is now the president and CEO of a private school in Canada.

nanny turned school owner
Photo credit: PEP.ph

But before she became a successful individual, the native of Ilocos went through different obstacles in life.

At first, she worked as a nanny in Hong Kong and after two years working with her employer, her boss helped her to migrate to Canada.

She was hesitant to go to Canada for some reason but it did not stop her to pursue her goals.

Then, she decided to use her background in education. Last year, alongside her two friends, she established the AGA Academy in Alberta, Canada.

Abby serves as president and chief executive officer of the said institution.

“Currently, we are close to 900 students… for the period of twelve months,” she proudly shared.

“We have six license courses right now, and we are waiting for ten more to come,” she added.

Based on their school’s website as per PEP.ph, among the programs that they’re offering are the following: Community Support and Addictions Worker Diploma, Tourism Management Diploma, Pharmacy Assistant, Massage Therapy Diploma, Advanced Massage Therapy Diploma, at Digital Marketing and Web Design Diploma.

This year, her academy has been designated by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as a learning institution.

This means they can now cater to international students.

However, international students will not be given a post-graduate work permit since it is a private school.

But Abby and her team mediate in the process. They will personally help the international students to be assisted by an immigration consultant and immigration lawyer and monitor their application for a work permit.

Asked what is her message for those who wanted to achieve their dreams in life, she said: “If you fail, who cares?”

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