User:Chonadejesus/Connie de jesus kriaski

CONNIE DE JESUS KRIASKI Born: June 21, 1960 Hometown: Baclaran, Paranaque City, Philippines Education: Master of Arts in Linguigstic - Philippine Normal University Bachelor in Business Education - Polytechnic University of the Philippines Production Accounting Certificate - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology High school diploma - Philippine Women's University Moved to Calgary, Alberta - Feb 16, 1996

Married life: 1st husband (1976-1987) - Andres Montenegro Ugaddan of Namabbalan, Tuguegarao; 2nd husband (2005 up to present) - Henry William Kriaski (no children)

Children: Roberto Gilbert Ugaddan (March 16, 1979); Rowena Rose Ugaddan (July 9, 1983); Rochellie Anne Ugaddan (October 20, 1984)

Grandchildren: Lilliana Rose Young-Ugaddan (Feb 25, 2007); Valari Hope Ugaddan-Demaris (May 1, 2009)

Life Story ( before and now ) Back in the Philippines, Connie de Jesus Kriaski was an English teacher in High School in a private school in Paranaque. She was a teacher for 5 years and in that 5 years, she was not just a teacher but a friend and a confidante to most of her students. Leaving the school after 5 years was a tough decision to make but because of financial reasons and living as a single mother to her 3 children, she was not left with any other choice but to look for a better paying job. She then end up working for a German representative office bidding for power transmission projects funded by Asian Development Bank and World Bank. Working with an expat made her learn a lot of things on how to be more assertive and be proactive. It was not just a routine like in a teaching job. Here in the corporate world, there's more to it day in an day out. Luckily, her manager has taught her so much in life that you will not learn inside the classroom. After 6 years of working for this company, Connie then applied to get a permanent resident visa to Canada, thus it was in 1996 when she finally moved to Calgary, Alberta.

February 16, 1996, when Connie's life changed drastically moving to a new country. First shocker: WINTER - they never had winter in the Philippines. When the plane landed, she saw white stuff on the ground; was thinking if it was still the clouds in the sky; but no, it was snow, yes for the first time in her life, snow it is!

April 15, 1996 - Connie met Henry William Kriaski. Started going out as friends, then companions and in September 4, 2005 they married in a civil wedding and thus Connie journeyed with Henry to start their life together after being companions for almost 9 years.

September 14, 1997 - Connie's 3 children joined her in Canada, all teenagers, the most difficult growing years in a child's life, the teenage years. Everyone did their share of going to school and working part time trying to help their mother meet both ends to survive their new life in Canada.

October 1, 2001 - Finally got a full time job in the oil and gas industry after working double job for the past 5 years to give the children a good life and to provide what they need; as a single mother, has been very workaholic to make both ends meet.

July 15, 2008 - Contemplated on having a Filipino community paper for Calgary. Not too long after PINOY TIMES was born. From merely 24 pages tabloid it has grown to 40 pages to date. The community definitely embraced the publication as it always deliver what it has committed to the community. From community events, immigration news, literary works for Filipino writers, governemnt news both Alberta wide and Calgary and Edmonton, it has distributed over 240,000 copies in a span of 48 months. Indeed Connie's dream of having a publication for the benefit of the Flipino community turned into reality after 12 years of living a private life in Calgary with her family. Nowadays, Connie finds that she doesn't have to do so much running around since she has established the publication's name PINOY TIMES and with her commitment, she never failed.

July 15, 2009 - www.pinoytimes.ca came into the picture. A website is very important for our readers especially those who are in small towns and remote areas where we cannot send our publications. With the use of the computer, our readers can gain access to our current news and events. Our advertisers who have supported us on print have extended their support on our website as well.

October 1, 2011 - PINOYLIVING TODAY, the very 1st Filipino Lifestyle magazine of Alberta, a sister publication of PINOY TIMES was launched to the community. With the support again of the local businesses in Calgary and Edmonton, this pilot project of Connie De Jesus Kriaski once again turned into reality. Being a former educator, Connie has always aimed for the best. With her imaginative mind, she managed to contemplate on publishing a magazine which will elevate the reading materials of the Filipinos in Alberta. This magazine comes out every quarter for it's first year but might turn into a 6 issues a year by next year.

With her 3 children and 2 grandchildren and her loving husband, Connie De Jesus Kriaski, is an example of a typical Filipino who values culture and family and will always have a helping hand for her fellow Filipinos in the community. At present she and her husband as sponsoring children thru ANCOP in the Philippines for the past 3 years now. And everytime Connie goes back to the Philippines, she never fails to visit their sponsored children. Indeed, Connie always extend a helping hand, together with the Filipinos in Calgary, she facilitated donations of used clothes to both victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Sendong. A donation of 100,000 Philippine Pesos was also handed to SAGIP KAPAMILYA on her recent trip back to Manila last February 2012..

For Connie, her publication is not business, but passion. She doesn't believe that if you are in the community service, money is always the answer but purely how you build relationships with the people around you. Thus, she will continue with her publications for as long as the Filipino community will be there to support her for her cause.