She came to Canada from the Czech Republic with a sound knowledge in sport, particularly hockey.

Ivana Paulová has lots of impressive credentials, be it education or in communications and media relations.

From Prague to Toronto, now an international student, Paulová has stopped in at Toronto's George Brown College to benefit from the one-year post-graduate program in Marketing Management.

As for athletics, we'll get to her suiting up for George Brown's women's soccer team later in the story.

A Bachelor of Arts graduate in Communications and Mass Media from the University of New York in Prague, Paulová then added to her curriculum vitae with a Master's Degree in Communications and Media Studies from Charles University – the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic.

"Initially I came to Canada because that is where the best hockey is played," said Paulová. "Now that I got to experience how great this country is, I'm determined to get a good job and stay. That is why I chose George Brown and I'm enjoying the new experience very much."

While not many people get a chance for post-game interviews with professional athletes, Paulová has gone that route several times as a sports reporter for a major Czech newspaper and also working for the country's national radio station.

And, yes, she knows quite a bit about some Czech-born skaters now playing in, or recently retired from, the National Hockey League. The list includes Jaromír Jágr, Patrik Eliáš and former Maple Leaf Tomáš Kaberle.

Paulová, when she gets time away from academics, is a member of the Huskies women's soccer team that returned to play in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association after a 12-year hiatus. She scored a goal in the Huskies first game this season.

Paulová started playing soccer at age 19 in Prague suiting up for three teams in five years – all in the Czech Republic's Second Division.

"It was a great experience and I love to play soccer, or football as we call it in Europe." said the 30-year old Paulová. "But hockey is my favorite sport to watch."

She has reported on the Czech national hockey team and was also at 2009 World Championship in Switzerland.

While studying at George Brown, her experience in the field of Communications has also landed her a part-time job as an assistant writer in the Athletics and Recreation Department.

Source: George Brown College