After secondary.

I just finished secondary. I'm now hesitating on what I should do with my life. My parents tell me to go to school and get a degree but I have all my life to do that. I rather enjoy my youth and volunteer around the world.

Choice 1 : Volunteer around the world.

Choice 2 : Go to cegep.

Volunteer around the world.

I decided to follow my dreams and to volunteer around the world. My parents didn't really agree with my choice but after I told them that volunteering could help me create contacts and would definitely embellish my resume they decided to give me a chance. Excited by the news I immediately started thinking on where I should go. Part of me wanted to help out in South America, but Africa also seemed like a good choice.

Choice 1 : South America.

Choice 2 : Africa.

Go to cegep.

I decided that it was best to avoid being on bad terms with my parents. I tried convincing them to let me go, but they weren't receptive. I agreed to go to cegep, but I wasn't very sure on what I wanted to study. My father was a paramedic and healthcare always interested me. Plus, I could use my dad to get a foot in the door in the world of healthcare. On the other hand, I always wanted to have my own business. My parents also really liked the idea of me owning a business and being my own boss.

Choice 1 : Pre Hospital Emergency Care.

Choice 2 : Business Management.

South America.

After giving it some thought, I decided to go to South America. Not only is there a lot of work to do there, but I also thought it would be good for me to go back to my roots. I bought a ticket to Venezuela and a couple of weeks later I was on a plane. I was still hesitating in which field I should help out. I was hesitant on what I should do once I got there. The organism that offered me the chance to volunteer told that I could either help to build a school in a small village or help to build a hospital near another village. I had a whole plane ride to decide.

Choice 1 : Building a school.

Choice 2 : Building a hospital.

Africa.

I ended up choosing Africa. I was really excited and immediately started thinking about what I should volunteer in. The organism that gave me the opportunity told me that I could help out in a village where they were building a well or I could work in a wildlife reserve that protected endangered species.

Choice 1 : Wildlife reserve.

Choice 2 : Building a well.

Pre Hospital Emergency Care.

After some thoughtful thinking, I decided to follow in my fathers' footsteps. I applied to Ahuntsic College in Pre Hospital Emergency Care. I made some friends there who were studying Psychology. They talked to me about what they were learning and it was fascinating. I was almost done with my program, but psychology really got my interest.

Choice 1 : Finish Pre Hospital Emergency Care.

Choice 2 : Switch to psychology.

Business Management.

I decided that I didn't want to have a boss. I applied in Business management at Cegep Édouard-Montpetit. I nailed my courses and now I only had to decide what type of business I wanted to open.

Choice 1 : Online store.

Choice 2 : Physical store.

Finish Pre Hospital Emergency Care.

I had come a long way and I thought it was too late to change programs. I applied for an internship where my dad works. He gave me recommendation, so I was accepted with ease. Once my internship and got my degree they called me to give me a job. I am now a paramedic and work as a trainee with my father.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Switch to psychology.

I wasn't sure whether I should switch or not, but my friends ended up convincing me. I changed programs and went to university in order to major in psychology. After I got my doctorate, I was hesitant between working in educational psychology or consumer psychology.

Choice 1 : Educational psychology.

Choice 2 : Consumer psychology.

Online store.

Times were changing, so I decided that it was a better idea to open an online store. I made a friend at Édouard-Montpetit that was studying in computer science, so I asked him if he could help me out. We quickly became business partners and created an online clothing website that offered discounted designer clothes. We didn't make a lot of money at first, and we were worried that might go bankrupt, but after the COVID-19 pandemic people all around the world turned to online shopping. We quickly became very successful.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Physical store.

I decided that I wanted to open my own store. I applied at a supermarket in order to save up money for my store. I quickly became an assistant manager and after a couple of years I opened my own clothing store. Business was good at first, but the COVID-19 pandemic made us close early on. We hadn't opened too long ago, so we hadn't made enough profit to keep renting the space. I had to close shop and go back to my dead-end job at the supermarket.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Educational psychology.

I decided to to work in educational psychology. I applied in a secondary school that was located in a bad part of town. I worked mostly with at risk kids that needed counseling. I met a teacher there with whom I fell in love. We disclosed our relation to H.R and kept working together. I now help teens in getting their life together and work every day with the love of my life.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Consumer psychology.

I decided that it was a smarter financial decision to work in consumer psychology. I applied to work for Apple, and they gave me a position on their marketing team. I moved to California and bought a very nice house there with my premium wage.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Wildlife reserve.

Working with African wildlife was simply an opportunity that I couldn't give up. I got on the spot and most the work consisted of driving the car around while the others tranquilized the rhinoceros in order to tag. After a year of working with them I had to go back and fulfill the promise I made to my parents. Coming home with a new passion for animals a studied hard and became a veterinary. After I got my doctorate I headed back to African, but this time I did a lot more than just drive the car. I was in charge of taking care of the wildlife and tagging them. I also gave on-the-job-training to aspiring veterinarians.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Building a well.

Although I love animals, I thought it would be better if I helped my own species before I help another. I got the little village I realized that the well was located right next to a school. I ended up helping in building the well and helping the teachers with kids. I got along with all the kids and it was with a heavy heart that I left one year after my arrival. I got back home I decided to become a teacher. I know work at the same primary school I went to when I was younger and I hope I can one day go back to Africa to teach.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Building a school.

I decided I was going to help in the construction of the school. I was super excited and the people there were super welcoming. A couple of months later the school was built. I had grown accustom to their culture and their kindness. I also had fallen in love with one of the teachers and decided to stay for good. I now work as a Physical Education teacher in Venezuela.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Building a hospital.

I decided I wanted to help to build the hospital. The hospital was near a village, but it was mostly the workers on site. We finished building it, but I felt weird. I didn't feel like I had really experienced another culture. Although I learned a lot about the medical field and developed a real passion for it, I was a hesitant whether I should go back home or pick another destination.

Choice 1 : Keep volunteering.

Choice 2 : Go back home.

Keep volunteering.

I told my parents I was elongating my trip. I decided to head to Vietnam. Once I got there, I really got the experience I wanted. Everyone had a kind heart and I felt like home. I helped deliver rations in poor parts of the country. I loved it. When the trip was nearing its end I didn't know if I should go back home. I loved volunteering, and it gave me the fulfillment that I was hoping for, but I had made the promise to come home and get a degree. I didn't know what to do.

Choice 1 : Go to cegep.

Choice 2 : Volunteer forever.

Go back home.

I chose to head back home. After all, I missed my family and I wasn't sure if my I was going to like my next destination anyway. With all this new knowledge on healthcare I decided to go down that path. I applied in Natural Science and after some extensive thinking I decided to become a doctor. I studied hard, and I am now a proud pediatrician with a very good income.

Choice 1 : After secondary.

Volunteer forever.

I realized that helping others was my calling. I ended up volunteering in many countries. I was very poor and sometimes when times got though I had to ask my parents for help. I went back home once every three months and stayed long enough to make the money I needed to travel again. My parents were against it at first, but ended up seeing what a noble cause I was fighting for.

Choice 1 : After secondary.