End of High School.

During my last high school year, I had to apply to college. Many choices were offered to me, but I had known for a long that I wanted to work in a field related to law enforcement. I was left with two choices, either I do a DEC in Social Sciences to then go to university, or I do a Police Technology.

Choice 1 : Social Sciences.

Choice 2 : Police Technology.

Social Sciences.

I chose Social Sciences. I was curious and interested in learning more about how our society functioned and why people act the way they do. Throughout my courses, I found out that I had a strong interest in crime and the justice system, but I wasn't sure if it's what I really wanted. I wanted to make sure I was making the right choice. As I approached the end of my two-year program, the thought of making a decision was heavy and stressful, but I had to choose.

Choice 1 : University in criminology.

Choice 2 : Take my time to think about it.

Police Technology.

I ended up choosing Police Technology. From the beginning, I knew it would be a demanding program, both physically and mentally. In this college program, I learned about the law, intervention techniques and discipline. The worst part was the training. I knew that it would help me get stronger and that I needed it if I ever wanted to become a police officer, but it was really pushing me out of my comfort zone. After my two first semesters, I started questioning my choices and what kind of future I wanted.

Choice 1 : Stay in the program.

Choice 2 : Leave the program.

University in Criminology.

I decided to finish my program and applied to university in criminology. At the beginning, I felt proud of myself, I was motivated, organized, and confident about my future. I kept doing well in school. In my second year, I got an internship in a justice-related office. I expected to gain experience and confirm my career choice. However, during the internship, I noticed some decisions seemed influenced by office politics. Because of this situation that felt like it wasn't being handled, I started to feel disconnected from the work environment and went back to where I started with no idea what I want my future to look like. I ended up having to make another difficult choice.

Choice 1 : Ignore it.

Choice 2 : Question what I am seeing.

Take my time to think about it.

Even though I was interested in the criminal field, I wanted to make sure it was really what I saw myself doing in the future. I preferred taking a break from the pressure of having to decide. I figured either I completely take my mind off school or I change direction and avoid university.

Choice 1 : Volunteer abroad.

Choice 2 : Choose a technical program.

Stay in the program.

I stayed in the program, and although I thought multiple times about quitting, I kept pushing to be better and eventually graduated. I felt proud of my accomplishment. However, once I entered the field, I realized that real-life situations were much harder than what training had prepared me for. While working in this environment, I experienced uncomfortable situations and inappropriate comments from colleagues that made me question the professionalism of certain people in the workplace. At first, I felt unsure about how to respond. I could either speak up or stay silent.

Choice 1 : Speak up.

Choice 2 : Stay silent.

Leave the program.

Although I kept trying to push myself to not quit, I ended up choosing to leave the program. I left feeling uncertain about my future. It was a difficult decision, and it felt like a setback. I had to rebuild my plans and reconsider what kind of path I truly wanted to follow. I had to choose between taking a break or immediately start rebuilding my career path.

Choice 1 : Take a break.

Choice 2 : Rebuild my career path.

Ignore it.

I chose to ignore what I saw and focus on my own performance and success. I told myself that if I worked hard enough, things would eventually get better. I stayed focused on my studies and responsibilities. I ended up graduating and got a job in the field. It looked like I had succeeded, and I actually felt like I did, but overtime, something changed in how I felt about my work. It no longer felt as meaningful as it once did. I could either accept the system, or feel alienated.

Choice 1 : Accept the system.

Choice 2 : Feel alienated.

Question what I am seeing.

I started to question what I was seeing. Some decisions did not seem fair, and I started to realize that the system was more complicated than what I believed originally. The whole situation made me feel uncomfortable, so I started to think about speaking up.

Choice 1 : Talk with Human Resources.

Choice 2 : Stay cautious and do nothing.

Volunteer abroad.

I decided to volunteer abroad. At first, the experience was quite challenging. I was far from home in a very different environment, and I had to adapt quickly. I often felt unsure of myself but over time, the experience changed the way I saw the world and myself. Even if volunteering abroad didn't give me a clear career path right away, it gave me perspective and a better understanding of what I wanted in life. I returned home and went back to school.

Choice 1 : Start again

Choose a technical program.

I preferred choosing another program completely. The experience I got from it was very different than my previous path choice since this time I was preparing for a real job, not university. I had to adapt to a more hands-on way to learn, which I was not used to at all, but I kept going. In the end, I realized this path was a better fit for me than I expected. I developed more practical skills and gained confidence.

Choice 1 : Start again

Speak up.

I decided the best thing to do was to speak up about what I observed. I knew that acting according to my values was risky, but I felt that it was important. My decision created tension in the workplace and led to involvement with human