In Grade 11 I was forced to take part in a “Career Preparation Program”. It was a feeble attempt at assisting the young students of my High School in choosing a profession so that they could begin to form their academic foundation in post-secondary school for the career of their choice. The biggest reason this was a flawed approach was that the process of choosing our careers was made through a computer program. It was like some kind of Sci-Fi movie of a Utopian society gone crazy.

We inputed various information about our hobbies and interests and it magically calculated what career we should begin preparing for. So I filled out the survey and the computer told me I should be a Computer Programmer. I knew this is what it was going to say, and I also knew it wasn’t the answer. Unfortunately I didn’t know at the time what the right answer was.

The whole program lied to us, telling us we had to choose a career, right there and then, if we didn’t it would be a disaster, I would be working at McDonald’s for the rest of my life. They put incredible pressure on us that we had to choose a career, finish High School, and immediately go to University and get an education or our lives would be over.

But what if you don’t know what you want to do? My only choice was to pick a career. So I went against the computer’s answer and decided I would be a Web Designer. I liked Web Design, I wasn’t totally convinced it was what I wanted to do with my life but it was the best idea I could come up with. Unfortunately I finally decided what I wanted to do with three months left in Grade 12 and my graduation.

At this point, in March 2001, I had managed to get chosen to go to New Year as a participant in a Sustainable Development conference at the United Nations. The whole adventure I had there is a very, very, long story, but suffice it to say that apart from almost being arrested by UN Security, I had an overall amazing experience. It allowed me to experience a life in politics, which brought me a passion I had not experienced before then.

However when I made it back home to Vancouver from New York I arrived to a process that had already been started, become a Web Designer. I got through art school with minimal excitement, but luckily for me, when I finished, my parents announced they still had money put away for my schooling and I could return to post-secondary school for education of my choice. I quickly decided to begin an education in Political Science.

My Political Science education has been stimulating and beneficial. And it has brought me to where I am today, hopefully making a contribution to fighting for human rights. I believe the situation of Roma in Europe is the most important Human rights issue in the world today, and I am glad to be a part of it, and hope I continue to contribute to the fight after my internship is over.