Career Path

Prior to graduating from University I found a job in the city where my boyfriend works. It was more or less for convenience as I planned on returning to school in the fall to do a post grad program of some sort. Plans changed, we bought a house and I stayed with the company that I worked for in the summer.

It seemed like a Bachelors Degree was the new high school diploma. I went to school for Social Development with hopes of counselling or working with severely ill children in a hospital setting. Some commended me on this decision while others thought I would be engulfed by the constant sadness and depression of such setting. Yes there are hard days but there are good days too. As with everything in my life I’ll take the good with the bad. These kids are inspiring and wise beyond their years. I landed my dream internship in Chicago during 2012 when I was Starlight’s Great Escapes Co-ordinator for the summer. I got to plan huge extravagant events for severely ill kids and their families. Seeing their smiling faces was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. Our team planned a Cruise, Chicago Bears Training Camp Day and Zoo Scavenger Hunt. All of the trips were free for the kids and their families which was crucial as families who have a child undergoing serious medical treatments in the U.S face serious financial obstacles. The kids were so grateful, polite and thrilled to just be able to be a kid for the day. They were relieved to be out of the hospital and spending time with family and other kids. From that point forward I knew that regardless of how difficult it would be, that’s what I wanted to do.

While job searching in my field back home in Southern Ontario I didn’t fit the requirements for various reasons. I didn’t have 5+ years of experience, I didn’t have my Masters, and needed more certifications.

So I found myself in Marketing. It was interesting to learn the Psychology behind advertising and I climbed the ladder quickly landing a Manager position in 4 months. However this is not my dream career, I have this urge to be in a position where I positively affect the lives of others on a daily basis. I have an innate passion and drive to help those in need. So now I find myself searching for courses that could compliment my degree and get me where I need to be.

Doing what you love doesn’t always come with the financial perks that one would hope for. It usually comes down to choosing between the two, passion vs. money. At the end of the day as long as the bills are paid and there’s food on the table I’d rather be doing what I love for the rest of my life. When I look back on my life I want to feel like I had an impact or made a difference in one way or another.