When Amber Deng first came to Cape Breton in 2019, she came with a background in visual arts from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She had pursued creativity and design, but felt a pull toward something broader, something that would allow her to mix compassion with impact. That pull led her to Cape Breton. First studying at the Cape Breton Language Centre, and eventually the MBA in Community Economic Development program at Cape Breton University.

As a newcomer, Amber quickly felt a sense of belonging in Cape Breton. Reflecting on her initial experience, she shared, “I never felt discrimination here. From the moment I arrived, people were welcoming, supportive and kind.” That feeling of acceptance and community reinforced her decision to live and study on Cape Breton Island.

In January 2020, she began her MBA and it was there she met a mentor, Dr. Catherine Leviten-Reid. An Associate Professor whose research focuses on housing, community development, the social economy and social care, Dr. Leviten-Reid had already earned recognition through her publications and leadership in affordable housing projects. For Amber, it wasn’t only her expertise that left an impression, it was her kindness, her encouragement and her willingness to support.

Dr. Leviten-Reid had opened doors for Amber. She encouraged her to publish her master’s thesis and introduced her to key leaders in the housing sector, including the Executive Director of the Cape Breton Community Housing Association, who later offered Amber a job that gave her valuable experience. Dr. Leviten-Reid showed Amber the steps she needed to take while walking alongside her as she took them.

Amber’s studies in community housing became a passion that continues to grow. Today, she is completing a fully funded PhD at the University of Waterloo, focusing on affordable housing, determined to contribute to research and policy that can change lives.

Across Canada, housing has become one of the most pressing challenges of our time, touching families, communities and the very foundation of how people build their lives. The conversations unfolding today about affordability, accessibility and dignity are not just policy debates, they are reflections of our shared responsibility to ensure people have a safe and stable place to call home. Amber has stepped into this work with purpose.

Through her research, her community engagement and her growing expertise, she is helping to address the very issues Canadians are grappling with daily. Her studies are tied to real people and real neighbourhoods, and she believes that strong communities begin with a place where everyone can belong.

Reflecting on her six years in Cape Breton, Amber misses the people. “Cape Breton was more than a place to study,” she says. “It was a community that helped me discover a passion and gave me the support I needed to pursue it.”

Cape Breton University became more than a stop along Amber’s academic journey. It became the place where she discovered her calling, where professors like Dr. Leviten-Reid supported her potential, and where community leaders believed in her work. Though her PhD studies took her away from Cape Breton, the lessons and kindness she found in Cape Breton remain at the heart of her story. She carries them forward into her research, her policy work and her vision for a future where housing is not a privilege, but a right.