In Focus | David Andres Rojas

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
David Andres Rojas.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I am originally from Bogota, Colombia where I lived while I was going through elementary school and part of middle school. Then I moved to Kelowna and have lived here for over 10 years. I graduated from UBCO, found my dream job, created many amazing memories, and met the love of my life in this city.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
I meet people on a daily basis due to the nature of my job and I truly love spending time with my family, friends and clients. There is one person I spend the most time with because she helps me grow and explore. He name is Elle and she is my beautiful fiancée.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
I have been to many places around the world as I love to travel and experience different cultures. The one place I would visit at this moment if I could would be Lausanne, Switzerland. A few years ago I was there with my family where we spent close to a month visiting different cities, eating amazing food, learning French and experiencing what it’s like to live in a very wealthy country.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Bai Tong on Bernard Ave is definitely a must go in our city! I try to take my friends and clients there as often as possible because the food is excellent and the service is exceptional. The owner, Kitti is always very welcoming and friendly which makes the place even more enjoyable.

What is your favourite activity?
I have both my Glider and Private Pilot Licenses so flying is definitely my favourite activity. I have flown to different places in BC and, in my opinion, the Okanagan is the most beautiful place to fly. The lake, the mountains, the changing colours and ideal weather make this the best place on earth.

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
I always love a great pizza. There is a place in Kelowna called Olympia Greek Taverna. They make some of the best pizza in town.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
I can’t recall a specific embarrassing instance, but I am sure there have been quite a few times where I have said something silly or done embarrassing things during a presentation in university or to a potential client.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
A couple years ago I traveled to Los Angeles on a mission trip to volunteer at the Dream Center, a faith-based charitable organization that helps thousands of people across the United States. On average, they feed over 40,000 people per month and deliver more than 500,000 bags of groceries per year in the Los Angeles county alone. Giving back to others and supporting those in need is a priority in my life. Being there was truly inspiring and changed my life forever.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Going to my favorite water park in Colombia called Piscilago with my parents. Unfortunately my dad passed away when I was young so most of my most cherished memories are those that I have with my dad. There was one time when we went to the water park and got a brand new camera, on that day we took hundreds of pictures. I know dad is proudly looking after me in heaven, I wish I had just one more day or even hour to spend time with him again. Don’t take the time with your loved ones for granted, make sure you give your family a big hug today.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I am an officer with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and volunteer most of my free time with them. We currently have close to 70 cadets registered and meet several times per month. This program was created to help youth become model citizens in our country. We teach them aviation principles, leadership, citizenship, public speaking and many more valuable skills to succeed in everything they do. The biggest projects we have in the program are the summer scholarships where cadets are able to attend summer courses to get their pilot license or learn about survival, leadership or sports. I was an Air Cadet growing up and can say with confidence that the program taught me the skills I needed to get to where I am today. You can check it out on their website.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Child and youth poverty. I strongly believe that children are very fragile and become the product of their environment. I have been and lived in very poor areas where children don’t have access to education or food, which leads them to joining criminal groups or discovering drugs. We as a community should support children with the resources necessary to become the best they can be. They are the future generation and the ones who will lead our country when we are old. I encourage you to support a youth program in our community and help whenever possible.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Flying, hiking and exercising are definitely the best things to do in Kelowna. It is hard to believe that some people have never been to beautiful hiking trails like Christie Falls or even a close one like Rose Valley. I recently purchased a drone and have been filming some breath-taking shots of our city.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Bertram Creek Park is a place along the shore of Okanagan Lake. It is quiet and offers a peaceful environment to relax and watch the lake.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
More support for child poverty. On average 1 in 5 children go to school every day with an empty stomach in our community. Sometimes people focus their attention in other countries where there is clear poverty and corruption; however, there is massive need in our community that most people don’t know about and it can potentially be solved by taking some time out of our busy life to help a family in need in our neighborhood. Imagine the massive positive change that would happen if everyone in our city invested just one hour of their entire week to support others. This year I was the chair of a major event called Leadercast Kelowna. My team and I worked hard to bring the biggest one-day leadership event in the world to our city by broadcasting the conference live from Atlanta. It would be amazing to see more events like Leadercast for people to go and learn from other mentors in our community. We are currently in the process of planning Leadercast Kelowna 2018 and are expecting over 200 people to attend this amazing event next year. Check out the Facebook page.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The community of people, as well as the great businesses and companies that are located in this city. Also the peace and freedom for everyone to enjoy doing what they love at the lake or places nearby.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1. Establish the ‘Rojas Family Legacy Foundation’ which would help graduating high school students that grew up in single-parent households to be able to go to university.
2. Go gliding in different places around the world like Switzerland, France, and New Zealand
3. Fly a fighter jet. I grew up watching Top Gun so I’d like to be able to one day be in a jet and pretend to be Maverick!

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
If I was a fictional character, I would be Goku.

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media?
LinkedIn and Instagram

What is the name of your business/organization?
ENCOMPASS Benefits & HR Solutions Inc.

Why did you get into/start this business?
While I was in my last year of University, I connected with my mentor and principal of the firm, Bret Loge, who taught me everything about Group Benefits and providing professional advice to clients. I joined the firm right after I graduated with my business degree and have loved my time working at this amazing organization ever since. I am very passionate about helping people and this was the perfect fit because I get to help organizations and decision makers every single day.

What is the goal of your business?
To continue to help our clients get the maximum value from their group benefits plans by supporting them and giving them the resources they need to solve challenges and engage employees to be healthy and happy with their job.

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Coming to Canada with my mom was the most difficult thing I’ve had to go through because we didn’t speak any English and arrived with only two pieces of luggage each. Imagine not being able to understand anything and having to do very difficult jobs to survive. I now know that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I am very happy where I am today and at a young age I have been able to accomplish most of my wildest dreams. I believe that a decision could have changed everything and for that reason I know that I have been blessed with what I have today.

What do you always find yourself saying?
Encouraging words to coworkers and friends. I lead the business development meetings at my firm and have included one of my favourite quotes on our agenda recently: “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Tony Robbins. I saw Tony live in Seattle earlier this year and learned a lot of amazing things from him. I try to improve at least one thing in my life every day and through Tony’s programs I have been able to be even more disciplined to accomplish my goals. I would love to meet him in person and spend a day learning from his success.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
Supports our community, our economy, and helps local entrepreneurs.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Obtaining both my Glider and Private Pilot Licenses.

Give someone you think that deserves a shout out and explain why!
This was definitely the toughest question because I know many people that do amazing things in our city like the members of the Kelowna Jaycees or other not-for-profit organizations. There is one unsung hero who has supported me every step of the way and helped me become the man who I am today, my mom. She gave everything up to bring me to a country of opportunity where I could experience true freedom and live better than in any other place in the world. As a social worker, she has the biggest heart and always goes above and beyond to help everyone around her, especially through her work with disabled people. Thank you mom!

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Abraham Samudio. He is someone who I have got to know over the past several months and does amazing things for our community. He is the lead pastor of a church in Kelowna called Son Valley Fellowship. Together with the young adults group, he developed a program to provide continuous support to a family in critical need. He also tells decent jokes once in a while!

Some general comments I would like to share are:
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to get to know me a bit more. You have the power to be better every day and grow to accomplish anything you set your mind to. Take care of your mental, spiritual and physical health daily and you will see a huge difference in everything that you do. Learn to be patient, especially if you are a young professional because greater things come to those who work hard and wait for the right season to harvest. Buy Bitcoin.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.