If you told me two years ago that I would be back in college again, I would have called you a liar and probably cursed your name on your way out.
I'm not ashamed to admit that the first "n" times I've been in college I hated it.
My first time around was in culinary school back in 2014. I fault my then-adolescent brain for heavily romanticizing what my life would look like once I became a culinary professional.
In my head, I envisioned making creative dishes that my patrons would fall in love with at first bite and then clamoring for more until their next visit. I saw myself working somewhere reputable, such as a five-star all-inclusive resort in the tropics where I would be free to flex my creative muscles by day and then relax by the beach at night on repeat. I dreamt of an endless summer vacation just on the other side of a hard day's work.
Nothing could have been further from the truth.
One culinary arts certificate and almost seven years of grinding later, I emerged a little older, not necessarily wiser, and completely disillusioned. I changed employers to try and find one that would simply appreciate having me around; no one ever did. I tried to apply for management-track positions at other workplaces and ended up sorely disappointed. Their constant refrain against my profile numbered many.
"You don't have a degree"
"You're much too young to get ahead."
"You're just a cook. What else can you possibly do besides just that?"
"Let's talk again when you have a *real* job under your belt."
Every one of these snide remarks dug its claws deeper into my resolve and refused to let go. At one point, I threw my hands up in frustration and asked myself why I should even bother to keep trying. After all, I'll end up in the same place anyway, right?
Again, nothing that came after this reckoning was further from the truth.
Much like the rest of the world, the global pandemic ground my plans, and my life, to a screeching halt. I was promptly laid off from my hospitality industry jobs (yes, "jobs" plural) and forced into isolation at home with my family. With all the extra time suddenly on my hands, I began to reconsider and reimagine what my life could be like.
For me, working in hospitality as a modern indentured slave was no longer going to be an option. I was done with the idea that all the fruits of my labour would forever be subject to the scrutiny of someone who feels entitled to judge simply because they "paid to be here". I also no longer believed that hard work alone would bring me anywhere I wanted to go. If hard work alone will not propel my career, a mixture of education, networking, and discipline would.
With this epiphany of sorts in mind, I sought out a new way forward for myself. I thought starting a Business Administration program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University would help -- it didn't. I then tried my luck with Thompson Rivers University online with another BBA -- that failed spectacularly as well. Finally, I tried a shorter program at BCIT for Office Administration. To my genuine surprise, I found a match.
In addition to learning how to play with software like the Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud, I found that I thrive best as a generalist. I was, and still am, drawn to the turn of phrase "jack of all trades, master of none". I liked the idea of feeding my curiosity by knowing a little bit of everything and refining my skills enough to deliver results but not spend my entire life specializing in any one thing. For me, being a professional generalist was to be my next play.
With a new certificate and renewed vigour in hand, I pushed myself to seek more generalist-leaning knowledge in college, which led me to the Diploma in Applied Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH) program at Langara College. I found comfort in the idea that the DASSH program is a broad survey of different subjects by design that aims to build well-rounded and knowledgeable individuals equipped to face whatever may come their way in life.
Almost two semesters into the program, I still get a kick out of telling people about my course and the polite confusion that follows.
"What are you taking in school again?"
"Applied Social Sciences and Humanities."
"Wow. I don't know what that is, but good for you."
After everything I've seen in my life today and all of the struggles and soul-searching it took to get here, you're absolutely right. Good for me.