The Catalyst

I was the type of kid who had their whole life planned out. As a child, I had a strict schedule for school, and extracurriculars such as band and choir practices. I’m the type of person who wants everything to be organized, and predictable and while surprises are great, it’s different when it revolves around your life path. That’s why at 14 years old, with my neat little agenda and multi-coloured pens, I organized every upcoming monumental life event. For example, I set expec...tations for what high school average I was going to end up with, what university I was going to go to and so on. At the time, these expectations were realistic and achievable to me. And, for the most part, life went pretty smoothly and I accomplished everything I expected myself to based on what I had mapped out earlier. It wasn’t until I started university where things went downhill, and I found myself lost on a path I never meant for myself to walk on. No longer was I the scholar student I thought I would be, and I found myself struggling like never before. The pivotal moment was when I lost out on the co-op job I dreamed so hard to get, and I was truly struck with the hard reality that things were not going to go as smoothly as I had initially expected. This realization was difficult for me to cope with and I questioned a lot about what I was doing wrong. When we fast forward to today, I look back, reflecting on who I thought I would be as a student and as a young professional. No longer am I the star accounting student I thought I would be but that’s okay, I’ve finally found what I really enjoy doing as a career at my current co-op. What I took away from this whole experience is that it’s good to have a plan but be prepared to adjust when you’re forced to take some detours. Whether it’s school, your career, or your relationships, I’ve learned to see the beauty in the fact that not everything will work out to be the perfect story, but I guess that’s what makes life interesting. See more

I grew up in London, ON, and I went to Western for undergrad because I had been pre-accepted into the Ivey HBA program. Through taking university courses, I became interested in psychology, so I completed BAs in both business and psychology concurrently. This revealed interest in business and psychology led me to a career in Marketing. I worked in advertising for several years before returning to school. I have always really liked school and am naturally curious, but I actual...ly did not know I would eventually get a PhD or become a professor while I was in undergrad. While working in advertising, I found myself wanting to spend more time thinking deeply about questions and ideas that I did not have enough time to explore in the fast-paced ad industry. This led me to pursue a PhD in Marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and ultimately become a professor. Fortunately, UTSC was hiring the year I was on the academic job market. I was so happy and grateful for the opportunity to join our university and to come back to Canada, and especially to Toronto where I have friends and family nearby. Students who are considering an extended undergrad program or grad school sometimes ask me if it is worth the time and personal sacrifice, particularly when it will take them away from loved ones. While I was away doing my PhD, I often missed out on fun experiences and celebrations with friends back home, which was difficult for me because I place a high value on friendships (this could explain why much of my research focuses on experiences and social relationships!). For example, many of my friends got married during that time, and although I always made a point of traveling back for their weddings, I typically could not attend the events leading up to the day. Around the same time, most of my friends were also entering other new life stages, such as becoming first time homeowners and parents, whereas I had the feeling of being somewhat stuck in limbo while I focused on my studies. Looking back, none of that matters much nowmy old friendships remained strong, I forged new connections along the way, I have a wonderful family of my own, and, of course, a career I love. So, perhaps taking a broader perspective can help when making these types of decisions. When you are in the trenches with schoolwork and focused on what is happening here and now, you can often neglect the meaning behind what you are doing or how it fits in your overall life story. Thus, it is easy to overweight minor things that may not be very consequential in the grand scheme of things. Everything involves some sacrifice. Thinking about why you are interested in the program and how effectively it will advance you toward your long-term goals may help you determine if the sacrifice is worth it. For me, it definitely was.

I consider my dad to be the most influential person in my life. As an immigrant he didn’t have a lot of stuff growing up and always believed that hard work would lead him to success. I think life was really hard for him because not only was he an immigrant from Vietnam, but his dad also died when he was 12 years old. I'm always grateful that he's never let this affect him and that he has always acted as a strong father figure. I think I gained a lot from his example like my w...ork ethic, team work skills, and positive attitude. I think that just knowing what he was able to go through everything he did with positivity and continue to reach new heights and be the person who he is today pushes me and impacts how I make my decisions today. He would always support me through everything, from when I played sports to school activities. To this day, he shows me constant support and pushes me to achieve my dreams. I think Marketing is my future because even though I have never taken any graphic design, photography, or videography courses, I have gained these skills through self-teaching myself. I believe that if I keep teaching myself new things everyday, I will be able to reach new heights and maybe even work for a big company or travel the world one day with my marketing skills.

"Meeting Crazy Aunt again made me glad I had lost my language. For the first time, I was content I could barely remember the Vietnamese that used to flow seamlessly through my ears and out my mouth when I first learned how to talk." https://catalyst.mesa.ca/2019//23/crazy-aunt-was-at-dimsum/ By: Anonymous

I was the type of kid who had their whole life planned out. As a child, I had a strict schedule for school, and extracurriculars such as band and choir practices. I’m the type of person who wants everything to be organized, and predictable and while surprises are great, it’s different when it revolves around your life path. That’s why at 14 years old, with my neat little agenda and multi-coloured pens, I organized every upcoming monumental life event. For example, I set expec...tations for what high school average I was going to end up with, what university I was going to go to and so on. At the time, these expectations were realistic and achievable to me. And, for the most part, life went pretty smoothly and I accomplished everything I expected myself to based on what I had mapped out earlier. It wasn’t until I started university where things went downhill, and I found myself lost on a path I never meant for myself to walk on. No longer was I the scholar student I thought I would be, and I found myself struggling like never before. The pivotal moment was when I lost out on the co-op job I dreamed so hard to get, and I was truly struck with the hard reality that things were not going to go as smoothly as I had initially expected. This realization was difficult for me to cope with and I questioned a lot about what I was doing wrong. When we fast forward to today, I look back, reflecting on who I thought I would be as a student and as a young professional. No longer am I the star accounting student I thought I would be but that’s okay, I’ve finally found what I really enjoy doing as a career at my current co-op. What I took away from this whole experience is that it’s good to have a plan but be prepared to adjust when you’re forced to take some detours. Whether it’s school, your career, or your relationships, I’ve learned to see the beauty in the fact that not everything will work out to be the perfect story, but I guess that’s what makes life interesting. See more

The film industry vowed to make diversity a priority. So why is #OscarsStillWhite? https://catalyst.mesa.ca//oscarssowhite-is-still-relevant/ By: Farah Ghafoor

I grew up in London, ON, and I went to Western for undergrad because I had been pre-accepted into the Ivey HBA program. Through taking university courses, I became interested in psychology, so I completed BAs in both business and psychology concurrently. This revealed interest in business and psychology led me to a career in Marketing. I worked in advertising for several years before returning to school. I have always really liked school and am naturally curious, but I actual...ly did not know I would eventually get a PhD or become a professor while I was in undergrad. While working in advertising, I found myself wanting to spend more time thinking deeply about questions and ideas that I did not have enough time to explore in the fast-paced ad industry. This led me to pursue a PhD in Marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and ultimately become a professor. Fortunately, UTSC was hiring the year I was on the academic job market. I was so happy and grateful for the opportunity to join our university and to come back to Canada, and especially to Toronto where I have friends and family nearby. Students who are considering an extended undergrad program or grad school sometimes ask me if it is worth the time and personal sacrifice, particularly when it will take them away from loved ones. While I was away doing my PhD, I often missed out on fun experiences and celebrations with friends back home, which was difficult for me because I place a high value on friendships (this could explain why much of my research focuses on experiences and social relationships!). For example, many of my friends got married during that time, and although I always made a point of traveling back for their weddings, I typically could not attend the events leading up to the day. Around the same time, most of my friends were also entering other new life stages, such as becoming first time homeowners and parents, whereas I had the feeling of being somewhat stuck in limbo while I focused on my studies. Looking back, none of that matters much nowmy old friendships remained strong, I forged new connections along the way, I have a wonderful family of my own, and, of course, a career I love. So, perhaps taking a broader perspective can help when making these types of decisions. When you are in the trenches with schoolwork and focused on what is happening here and now, you can often neglect the meaning behind what you are doing or how it fits in your overall life story. Thus, it is easy to overweight minor things that may not be very consequential in the grand scheme of things. Everything involves some sacrifice. Thinking about why you are interested in the program and how effectively it will advance you toward your long-term goals may help you determine if the sacrifice is worth it. For me, it definitely was.

https://catalyst.mesa.ca//where-shane-dawsons-jake-paul-s/ Mental health is not a joke. Read on to see where Shane Dawson's series went wrong. Author: Juliette Hofman

I consider my dad to be the most influential person in my life. As an immigrant he didn’t have a lot of stuff growing up and always believed that hard work would lead him to success. I think life was really hard for him because not only was he an immigrant from Vietnam, but his dad also died when he was 12 years old. I'm always grateful that he's never let this affect him and that he has always acted as a strong father figure. I think I gained a lot from his example like my w...ork ethic, team work skills, and positive attitude. I think that just knowing what he was able to go through everything he did with positivity and continue to reach new heights and be the person who he is today pushes me and impacts how I make my decisions today. He would always support me through everything, from when I played sports to school activities. To this day, he shows me constant support and pushes me to achieve my dreams. I think Marketing is my future because even though I have never taken any graphic design, photography, or videography courses, I have gained these skills through self-teaching myself. I believe that if I keep teaching myself new things everyday, I will be able to reach new heights and maybe even work for a big company or travel the world one day with my marketing skills.