How Did I Get Here?

Growing up, aside from the brief phase where I wanted to be a mechanic (let’s never talk about that), I always dreamed of working in the legal field.

When I graduated from high school, I applied to three programs: Criminal Justice Services, Behavioural Science, and Paralegal. After being accepted into all three, I had to decide which path to take. At the time, I believed Behavioural Science was the right choice, so I enrolled.

By my second semester in the four semester program, I realized it wasn’t the career I wanted. For those unfamiliar with the field, Behavioural Science focuses on Applied Behaviour Analysis, clinical intervention strategies, and professional ethics. Much of the program prepared students to work with children with autism and intellectual disabilities. While I found the work meaningful and rewarding, I knew myself well enough to recognize that it wasn’t a career I could see myself doing full-time while also building the family life I envisioned. Even so, I was committed to finishing what I started, and I graduated with my Diploma in Behavioural Science.

After graduation, I worked at a car dealership, first as a receptionist and later as an internal service advisor. I spent three years there before leaving at the beginning of the pandemic to move to Kelowna, British Columbia.

Once in Kelowna, I continued working at another dealership until I came across a job posting for a legal assistant at a local law firm. The posting stated that no experience was required, but I was still hesitant. I had just moved across the country during the pandemic, and taking a chance on an entirely new career felt intimidating. Despite my doubts, I applied.

That decision changed everything.

I got the job, and with it, the opportunity to begin the legal career I had always wanted.

Over the next two years, I worked in personal injury litigation while completing the Legal Administrative Assistant program through Capilano University in Vancouver, BC. I eventually moved back to Toronto where I continued my legal career and transitioned from personal injury litigation to estate, trust, and capacity litigation.

Looking back now, it’s funny how life comes full circle. Although it took a few detours to get here, I’m grateful for every one of them. Twelve years after graduating high school, and six years into my legal career, I can honestly say I’ve found the career I was always meant to have.

Sometimes the path to where you’re meant to be isn’t a straight line. But if you’re willing to take a chance on yourself, you may end up exactly where you were meant to be all along.

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