Building Belonging: How Didan A. Wedderburn Turned a Student Experience into a Community Impact Journey
Finding Purpose Beyond Graduation
When Didan A. Wedderburn arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador as an international student, she was searching for more than a degree. Like many newcomers, she hoped to build a career, establish meaningful connections, and create a life in a place that was entirely new to her. Today, Didan is a newcomer integration specialist, intercultural resilience practitioner, and retention strategist whose work focuses on migration, identity, and belonging. She currently serves as Retention Coordinator with IENL’s Study and Stay NL program while also leading Resilient Foreigner, a social integration consultancy that supports newcomers through coaching, facilitation, and community building. She is also the founder of the Intercultural Resilience Institute, a registered nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening intercultural understanding and resilience.
Her leadership extends beyond her professional roles. She serves on the St. John’s Local Immigration Partnership Council and the board of Tribe Network, contributing to initiatives that help newcomers and entrepreneurs thrive across Newfoundland and Labrador.
A Business Idea That Changed Everything
For Didan, one of the most significant moments in her professional journey happened before graduation. While participating in the Study and Stay NL program, she entered the S.E.E.D. Pitch Competition with an idea inspired by her own experiences navigating life as a newcomer. That idea became Resilient Foreigner. Winning the competition and receiving the $5,000 prize gave her the resources and confidence to formally establish the consultancy. “That win became the foundation for so much that happened in the years that followed graduation,” she recalls. What began as a business concept soon evolved into a platform through which she could help newcomers better understand the challenges of migration, cultural adaptation, and professional integration. Over time, Resilient Foreigner became more than a business. It became the thread connecting every stage of her career.
Building Expertise Through Experience
After graduating in 2021, Didan began her professional career at Memorial University’s School of Graduate Studies. Starting in a marketing role and later advancing to Recruitment and Retention Coordinator, she gained firsthand experience in student engagement, institutional research, enrolment strategy, and retention systems. These positions allowed her to understand the factors that influence student success and long term settlement decisions. At the same time, she continued growing Resilient Foreigner, applying lessons from both her professional work and lived experience.
As her expertise expanded, so did her opportunities. In 2023, she became more deeply involved in Newfoundland and Labrador’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. She served as an Expert in Residence with Tribe Network before joining the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship as Marketing and Events Coordinator. These roles exposed her to founder support programming, partnership development, and event leadership while allowing her to work closely with entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. Her passion for supporting newcomer and racialized entrepreneurs later led her to serve as Entrepreneur in Residence with Tribe Network, where she facilitated workshops and supported founders using frameworks she had developed through her consulting work.
Returning to Study and Stay NL
In July 2025, Didan returned to the program that had played such an important role in her own journey. This time, however, she returned not as a participant but as Retention Coordinator as she says, “I’m now back with Study and Stay NL, this time as Retention Coordinator (since Jul 2025)” The position brought together everything she had built over the previous several years. Her experience in student retention, entrepreneurship, partnership development, and newcomer integration now informs the work she does to support international students throughout the province. For Didan, the role is especially meaningful because it allows her to contribute to a program that helped shape her own future. Her continued involvement with Study and Stay NL also reflects the lasting impact the program had on her life. Since graduating, she has remained actively engaged as a mentor, workshop facilitator, keynote speaker, event participant, and media contributor.
When asked which Study and Stay NL resources had the greatest influence on her success, Didan finds it difficult to choose just one. “It was never really one thing,” she explains. “All the program resources contributed in unique ways.” Still, mentorship and career strategy sessions stand out as particularly transformative. Through her conversations with career strategist Levi Lawrence, she completely restructured her professional development plan.
“I rewrote my professional development plan based on the insights and strategies I gained. I have no regrets. Only wins,” she acknowledges. Equally important was the relationship she built with her mentor, Taiwo Ilyas. Rather than simply offering advice, Taiwo helped create opportunities for genuine connection and belonging. “She brought me into her social circles and allowed me to experience a sense of belonging even though St. John’s was a new place for me.” For a newcomer trying to build a life in an unfamiliar environment, those connections proved invaluable.
Learning, Belonging, and Giving Back
Transitioning from student life to professional life came with challenges. Having previously lived and worked in Jamaica and Japan, Didan quickly realized that workplace culture in NL was different from what she had experienced before. Understanding those differences required time, observation, and a willingness to learn. One lesson from the IENL program became particularly important, which is “Always ask.” The advice may sound simple, but it has become a guiding principle in both her professional and personal life. Whether seeking information, clarification, support, or opportunity, she believes asking questions creates pathways for growth and understanding. Today, it remains a mantra in her home and a philosophy she shares with others navigating unfamiliar environments.
Equally important were the relationships she built throughout the program. Among her strongest memories of Study and Stay NL are the relationships she built with facilitators and community members who genuinely cared about participant success. Many remained connected long after workshops ended, continuing to offer support, encouragement, and opportunities. “They recognize the value I can contribute to different spaces and will speak my name in rooms I don’t yet have access to,” she says. For Didan, that level of support represents one of the program’s greatest strengths. It demonstrates the power of community and the importance of creating networks that extend beyond formal programming.
Creating Impact for Future Newcomers
Today, Didan’s work is driven by a simple but powerful goal: helping others find the sense of belonging that she worked hard to build for herself. Whether through Resilient Foreigner, the Intercultural Resilience Institute, Study and Stay NL, Tribe Network, or her community leadership roles, she continues to create spaces where newcomers feel seen, supported, and empowered. For current international students considering their future in Newfoundland and Labrador, her message is clear. “If you love being in Newfoundland and Labrador and want to excel after graduation – not just get by – find a way to join the Study and Stay NL program.” And once accepted? “Show up and engage with the resources fully. You won’t regret it.”
Creating Pathways for Others
Didan’s journey is a powerful example of how international students can become leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in Newfoundland and Labrador. What began as a search for opportunity evolved into a commitment to helping others navigate their own paths of settlement and success. Through her work, leadership, and community involvement, she continues to strengthen the province’s newcomer ecosystem while creating spaces where others can thrive, belong, and build futures of their own.