Drilon Ramadani’s parents arrived in Canada as refugees shortly before he was born. They were determined to see their children succeed in their new home while honouring the life they left behind.

Mr. Ramadani first graduated from Seneca’s Mechanical Engineering Technology – Building Sciences advanced diploma program and recently returned to study in the Fire Protection Engineering Technology advanced diploma program.

He’s spending the summer on a co-op placement with the City of Toronto, inspecting and testing fire-protection systems that keep Torontonians safe by ensuring buildings comply with the Ontario Fire Code.

He discusses why he switched programs, what he wants to do after he graduates and the most important lessons he’s learned from his parents.

I enjoy it because of the hands-on learning. The fire protection program is even more hands-on than mechanical engineering. There are real-world labs where you see things in classrooms that are the exact same as in the workplace. Personally, I can’t just sit in a classroom all day — I need that practical, hands-on experience and Seneca provides that perfectly. 

During my time in the mechanical engineering technology program, I was introduced to fire protection, which caught my interest. The mechanical engineering program is broad — you learn about many different systems — whereas with fire protection, you’re looking at mainly one group of systems. You are taught why everything in that group was designed the way it was. After learning more and seeing the high employment rates after graduation, I applied.

It’s an industry where there’s not really a limit on age to get in. You need to be a little mature because you’re dealing with very serious systems that can impact lives.

My parents’ path shaped the way I am today. They fled a war, went to a refugee camp and then landed here — didn't know the language, started from zero. My dad started working immediately, which gave my mother the chance to re-do her postsecondary education and find a better career. That experience instilled a strong sense of resilience and adaptability, and a deep appreciation for my parents’ sacrifices. Their journey is what’s shaped me. 

The things we see here as rights, like health care or education, they are a privilege over there. My parents always told us that this is the way we have to treat education and all the things that we have access to here — as a privilege that we shouldn’t take for granted. Our parents taught us that hard work is what gets you through life; eventually, it will pay off. Success is not immediate — it's a long-term relationship you have to work at.

My parents, because of their journey. My sister — she went through the same things I did, but with less of a support system because she was the eldest. She’s been my role model academically and professionally. She’s kind of like a second mother to me.

My dad has a painting company and we also do renovations. I’ve been working with him since I was young. That’s why I’m very hands-on. That’s also why the course delivery at Seneca works for me — I can work and have a full-time course load at the same time, which is ideal.

It’s not set in stone, but I’m interested in becoming a fire inspector, which is a long-term goal because there’s lots of certifications to complete and you have to have years of experience. Something that I could see myself doing in a shorter time period would be sprinkler system design, where you design blueprints for new buildings using software like AutoCAD and HydraCAD. It’s a small industry but has a lot of opportunity, which is another reason why I chose it. They need a lot of workers.

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