From Canada to KTH – An International Leap to a New Life
Curiosity about the world and a strong desire for an international perspective led Samantha Arpas to leave Canada for studies at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
– I was drawn to the university’s close connection to industry. The strong career focus of the programs and all the events where KTH students can meet companies were decisive for me – and for the career I have today, she says.
For 26-year-old KTH alum Samantha Arpas, her new hometown Stockholm felt familiar from the very beginning.
– Sweden is similar to Canada in many ways. But an important difference for me is that Sweden has stronger worker protection and a more normalized conversation about security, unions, and social safety nets, she says.
Today, Samantha Arpas works at SEB, where her team drives the bank’s sustainability agenda by integrating sustainability into business decisions and providing expert advisory, data and innovation capabilities – a mission she describes as her passion.
– My work focuses on sustainability and the climate-related risks that companies face. This could be extreme weather, floods, fires, heat, and cold. We are working to develop solutions for companies that want to integrate climate adaptation into their future development plans. For example, if a company is going to build a factory, it must understand where the risks lie so they can be mitigated.
Knowing that KTH is ranked among the world’s top 100 universities gives her a great sense of security.
– If I ever decide to move back to Canada, I know my education is globally recognized, she says.
Now, Sweden has become Samantha’s long-term home. Recently engaged, she has her sights set on Swedish citizenship.
– I’m studying Swedish and enjoying life here so much that I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Even as a teenager, Samantha Arpas was drawn to the idea of moving to Europe, and during her high school and undergraduate years she studied abroad in the Netherlands and France.
– My dad said in a letter he gave to me at my graduation day that it was obvious I would eventually settle in Europe, she says with a laugh.
It has now been almost four years since her move, and her family visits her in Stockholm every year. She usually spends the Christmas holidays at her parents’ home in Canada.
The move from Toronto to Stockholm was made possible through a KTH scholarship, and for two years she combined her studies with summer internships to support herself while gaining work experience.
Her time as a student was intense – Samantha Arpas interned both in the real estate sector and the banking industry, completed her thesis, and was active as an ambassador for KTH’s Climate Action Center.
– I was also a student blogger and instagrammer, and all those experiences really strengthened my profile for the Swedish job market.
How did you, as an international student, manage to land a full-time job in your field six months before graduation?
– I attended every company event KTH organized and was immediately interested in SEB as a potential employer. I asked questions and showed genuine engagement, and eventually, the SEB representatives started to recognize me. In the end, I was recommended to apply for a position – they knew me and saw that I was truly eager to contribute.
Today,
Samantha often gives talks
to newly arrived international KTH students, for instance at scholarship ceremonies, and she is a new member of the KTH Alumni Advisory Board.
– There, I want to contribute with the international perspective, which is one of the university’s most important pillars. I want to help strengthen student and
alumni engagement
, and next year I’ll be involved in developing the activities for the university’s 200th anniversary – something I consider a great privilege.
Text: Katarina Ahlfort
Photo: Jon Lindhe