High school trauma.

You were in high school from 8 to 4. Every. Single. Day. When I think about this, it’s kind of scary, like pure mental drudgery. Yes, I had straight A’s, but still... no real contentment. I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer. But how could I actually do it? That was the one answer I didn’t have yet. When I started asking questions to a career counselor, everyone was telling me different things.That just made me more anxious and confused. Should I choose Social Science at Montmorency College? Or go for Paralegal Technology at Ahuntsic College? Honestly, I wasn’t sure, because of this situation, I think I’m going to try volunteering abroad. That way, I can take a break and really think about the answer.

Choice 1 : Paralegal Technology at Ahuntsic College.

Choice 2 : Join the workforce.

Social Sciences at Montmorency College.

The first semester wasn’t so bad. I was pulling off good grades, managing my time well, and even feeling hopeful. But the second semester... It hit differently. The courses were harder, more cursory, and totally uninteresting. I started sleeping badly. I didn’t eat good. My mental and physical health were suffering. I felt completely alienated and exhausted.

Choice 1 : Stay in the program.

Choice 2 : Quit the program and work !

Join the workforce.

That’s how I ended up working full-time at Walmart. At first, it wasn’t too bad. But soon, it became horrible. The working conditions were exhausting : no vacation, low wage, and the HR did absolutely nothing for the employees. There were no reals benefits, no support, no opportunities for advancement. I fell into a depression. And I never went back to school again. I didn’t want to go back to school. I wanted something different. The stress, the bad grades, the depression, I didn’t want to go through all that again. So, I made a big decision: Volunteering abroad. But where? I had no idea. I went on Indeed and applied to a few places. Two organizations contacted me back.

Choice 1 : Volunteering in Africa.

Choice 2 : Volunteering in a war-torn country.

Stay in the program.

I suffered through both semesters. The program didn’t interest me at all, and I did everything I could just to finish quickly. But my grades were terrible, and I didn’t get a good cote r. My dream of becoming a lawyer, it fell apart. So, I decided to try a new path. I dropped out and chose to work and waiting for the next semester to begin.

Choice 1 : Go back to choice one

Volunteering in Africa.

Here, it was amazing. The weather, the energy, the animals... everything felt so cute. I loved feeding the baby animals, especially the monkeys and baby zebras. I felt truly invaluable. But one day I made a mistake. I tried to feed a baby tiger. It looked innocent. I couldn’t resist. But the mama tiger saw me. She was furious. She growled. She ran. She attacked me. And that’s how I died, in the middle of the African safari. GAME OVER.

Choice 1 : Go back..

Volunteering in a war-torn country.

A humanitarian project to help children in a war-torn country. : I’ve always loved children. And honestly, they loved me too. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw, famine, fear, death. So many orphans with no one left. Their eyes were full of sadness, and I couldn’t do anything to fix it. I wanted to help. But I felt powerless. The trauma built up slowly. I started having nightmares. I cried at night. Eventually, I fell into another depression. Worse than before. I had no energy left. I gave up and went back home. GAME OVER.

Choice 1 : Go back...

Paralegal Technology at Ahuntsic College.

I finished the Paralegal Technology program. And honestly? It was incredible. I learned so much. I grew as a person. But, I didn’t get the cote r I needed to apply to law school. Now I feel stuck and lost. Like I’ve done everything right, and still failed. It feels like I missed my life. Like I ruined my future. I don’t know what to do next. Find Another Way... or let It Go?

Choice 1 : Work as a Paralegal.

Choice 2 : Continue school.

Work as a Paralegal.

Being a paralegal was part of law. So, for me, it made sense. I had on-the-job training, a pension, even some benefits. But, something inside me wasn't good. It felt like I had abandoned a part of myself. I didn’t just give up on becoming a lawyer, I also gave up on me and my dreams. Years passed and the job became a routine and very repetitive. I felt alienated. I had set aside my dream to survive. But survival wasn’t enough. One day, during my early retirement, I looked in the mirror, and I couldn’t even recognize the girl who once believed in herself. I was sad. One day, I slowly died in the bathroom at work.

Choice 1 : Go back ...

Continue school.

My cote r wasn’t terrible. It just wasn’t high enough and that’s okay. I decided to put aside the shame and apply to a certificate program at University of Montreal. It wasn’t law school, but it was better than give up. I worked harder than ever. I built strong time management habits.I stayed focused. Even when it was maddening, I stayed thoughtful and kept pushing. I didn’t get straight A’s every time. Slowly, things changed, because my confidence grew and my grades went up. I was doing well at school, and I knew it. I kept going. I never gave up.

Choice 1 : Continue in Law school.

Continue in Law school.

In my dram life, I know that I always wanted to be a lawyer, so I had to study law at university. There are three universities, but I don’t know which one to choose. After university, I need to go study at the Bar School to become a licensed lawyer, without that I can't be a lawyer.

Choice 1 : Go to uOttawa.

Choice 2 : Go to UQAM.

Choice 3 : Study at UDEM.

uOttawa : Too far from home.

I wanted to try something new, so I applied to UOttawa. The problem? It was far from home, and I had to find a place to live. That meant one thing: shared rent. I had to move in with someone. But I had no time, I had to choose quickly between my best friend, alone, and an old classmate.

Choice 1 : Live with my best friend.

Choice 2 : Live alone.

Choice 3 : Move in with an old friend.

Choice 4 : Go back

UQAM : The mess...

At UQAM, the protests were constant. Almost every day, classes were canceled. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t study. I felt like office politics ran the place. The problem is that I don't know if I should take part in the protest or not, I mean… I need to fit in the standards, right?

Choice 1 : Go back

Choice 2 : Join the protest

Choice 3 : Don’t join the protest.

UdeM : My hometown :).

This university was close to my house. It felt, calm and friendly. I really felt good. I was doing well at school, not because it was easy, but because my heart was happy, in his place. I had access to great internships. They were intense at first, I was overwhelmed, but slowly I learned some tricks of the trade that are helping me become a good lawyer. Like my teacher were always telling me, I'm learning the ropes. I gained confidence. The on-the-job training helped me apply everything I had learned in class. I even got offered a full-time job after one of them. Having a foot in the door was the best thing that could’ve happened. I was able to test drive different parts of the job and choose what I liked. And that’s how I knew… this was where I was meant to be.

Choice 1 : Continue.

Thought choice..

My efforts were recognized, I got good grades, my teachers agreed to refer me to the law firms of my dreams, and I managed to get a strong Cote P to apply to Bar School. My brain said stop? I did 3 years in CEGEP and 4 years at university. I seriously need to rest. Should I take a vacation or just keep going?

Choice 1 : Go in a trip to Morocco.

Choice 2 : Continue working.

Go in a trip to Morocco.

I went to Morocco to see my family. One night, I saw a wonderful boy. I fell in love with him. We didn’t wait I married him. After that, I never became a lawyer. When I turned forty, I was going through an existential crisis. I wanted to go back and study for my dream job. But because of my age, I never dared to start over. I was so close to reaching my goal… what a heartbreak.

Choice 1 : Go back ...

Continue working.

It just six more months, it’s okay, I can suffer a little longer. It’s funniest at this point. I’m so excited to be done. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. School is almost over! I was so happy. Finally, I managed to finish, and do you know what? I took a break right after. I spent six months in Morocco.

Choice 1 : You WIN!

Live with my best friend.

She’s incredibly messy. The dishes were always dirty, the floor was sticky. Our friendship fell apart. I couldn’t handle the chaos, I felt maddened. We stopped speaking. I lost a friend, and my mental health crumbled.

Choice 1 : Go back

Move in with an old friend.

At first, it was fine. But one night, I came home and found my things disappeared. She had stolen everything. I was devastated. I went to HR for help, but they withheld support. There were no benefits, no help, no justice.

Choice 1 : Go back

Live alone.

I was desperate, with no money. I took a cheap place. One night, I was assaulted a case of sexual harassment that escalated. The perpetrator disappeared. I had a trauma and didn't want to go in this place again, nobody took action. Not even HR. I was alone.

Choice 1 : Go back

Join the protest.

I stopped going to class. I felt like I was doing something important. But my grades dropped, and slowly, I left school entirely. My career ended before it even began.

Choice 1 : Go back

Don’t join the protest.

I didn’t protest. But then... no one talked to me. No group wanted to work with me, for the project. I was excluded, isolated. I couldn’t do team projects. I felt alienated. Alone. I fell into a deep depression.

Choice 1 : Go back