By Mohammed Mohyedin
Taking on the extra responsibility of post-secondary education alongside a steady career or family responsibilities is never an easy decision. At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), mature students showcase a wide array of reasons that they choose to attend post-secondary, each with a unique story to tell.
According to TMU’s website, mature students are defined as those who enter the school at 21-years-old by Dec. 31 and have been out of formal education for two or more years. For many in this community, it’s taken longer than two years to return, with some putting their careers on hold and balancing their families alongside class work.
29-year-old Nadia Malek left her career as a horticulturist and assistant grower at an Ontario greenhouse. She had a diploma in horticulturist industries from Algonquin College three years before she decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in social work at TMU in 2024.
She found the workforce can be limiting without a degree and leaves scarce opportunities to climb the corporate ladder. By combining her experience as a horticulturist with her studies in social work, Malek aspires to actualize her entrepreneurial ambitions by opening up a mental health practice that heavily incorporates green spaces.
“If I go to school to get my master’s and become a licensed therapist, it would be achievable and not a pipedream,” she said.
The journeys mature students undergo oftentimes are equipped with resilience in order to overcome obstacles and challenges, whether it be personal, professional or systemic barriers to their goals.
“So when life gets hard, step back, reflect, and move forward. Every challenge is a chance to grow stronger”
Growing up, Angie Nga Wun Lam faced several forms of trauma, including familial trouble, isolation and violence outside her family. Now, at 34, she is a fourth-year criminology student double minoring in philosophy and psychology, determined to build a career in criminal justice and advocate for systemic change, fairness and equity in the justice system.
As the only child of two parents working to make ends meet, Lam and her family were challenged with the hustle and bustle of life in Scarborough, Ont. and Markham, Ont. Having to wrestle with supporting her mother over playing with her friends made Lam feel she had to grow up really fast.
She described the importance of these early days as formative for the woman she’s becoming today and how amazing her life has become as the result of her resilience.
Today, Lam has a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 4.18 and remains financially independent as best as she can thanks to the many jobs she’s had since leaving home. Currently, she is employed by TMU to aid first-year students as a supported learning group leader in the first-year course SSH 105: Critical Thinking.
Lam advises students to be intentional with how they choose their path in education rather than succumbing to societal pressures and expectations.
“I don’t want to dedicate my whole life to [doing what my parents want]. I love my parents but I don’t need to live my entire life for them.”
Lam added, “So be intentional in your thoughts. If you’re going to veer off the path and do it in a linear way, be intentional. If you’re gonna do it in a non-linear way, be intentional, but do it with meaning.”
Monica Amenya, a fourth-year social work student originally from Ghana, came to Canada in 2002 on a family sponsorship program. That same year, she worked in a factory but found it wasn’t for her. In 2003, she attended George Brown College to pursue studies in a community worker program. Afterwards, she landed a position in a local shelter system.
Similar to Lam, Amenya knows very well what it means to be intentional, especially as she faced her journey immigrating to Canada. Following this experience, Amenya emphasizes the importance of education as a transformative tool.
“For any newcomer, the classroom is your go-to,” she said. “I would encourage everyone who migrates or comes to [Canada] or as a mature student later in your life, that the classroom is the best place to start.”
While Lam advocates for intentionally choosing your program and courses without letting others dictate your path, Amenya highlights the broader importance of education in shaping one’s future towards creating opportunities, especially for those navigating life in a new country.
She adds that education can be useful for more than just earning income as it can expose one to diverse surroundings in “the shortest possible time.”
Maryam Ahmad Jawid, a second-year biomedical science student, came to Canada in 2016 from Afghanistan and had two kids by the time she enrolled at TMU.
“For any newcomer, the classroom is your go-to”
Jawid always believed in the value of education. Ever since she was five years old, she dreamed of pursuing medicine—a goal that has remained despite the challenges life has thrown her way.
“All these struggles just for medical school,” she said, reflecting on her journey and the sacrifices she has made to keep her dreams alive.
She learned that a degree from her home country would not carry the same weight as earning it in Canada would, so she made it her mission to obtain education here.
Given her full-time job as a parent to two young children, aged six and seven, and balancing her studies, Jawid questioned if medical school is a feasible option to consider.
“Maybe [medical schools are] looking for students who are very smart, who have full time to study, and who have good GPAs,” she wondered.
TMU’s new medical school had sparked controversy for its unique application process, which removed traditional requirements such as the Medical College Admission Test as previously reported by The Eyeopener. The university’s website states that its goal is to produce “doctors from our communities who will work with our communities to improve health and wellbeing” and to “advance our shared vision to build a healthier, more equitable world.”
As previously reported by The Eye, the school initially planned to reserve 75 per cent of its admission spots for equity-deserving pathways. However, this quota had been removed following criticism and discussions with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office. While the school no longer advertises a specific quota, application streams for equity-deserving students remain available, and TMU continues to position itself as addressing systemic barriers in medical education.
After learning of its unconventional application process, Jawid shared what it could mean for others.
“[The process is] very helpful to all those women and everybody who after many years of leaving school, come back and continue with their educational aspirations,” she said.
For many students like Jawid, access to inclusive programs is only part of the journey. Support systems have been a recurring idea on the mind of many mature students at TMU. One particular student has advocated for a new program potentially coming to campus by the Winter 2025 semester.
Thirty-six-year-old Alex Gameiro is a fourth-year social work student and mother to four—her eldest child is 14.
Gameiro is a first-generation Portuguese-Canadian. Her father attended school back in Portugal but had to settle in the construction industry in Canada, while her mother became a house cleaner after arriving in the country.
She described her family’s wishes of her pursuing education as a priority. However, after graduating high school, challenges in qualifying for the Ontario Student Assistance Program, made education a secondary priority with her full attention on supporting her household.
Gameiro recently put together an initiative for Single Parent Support (SPS), designed to address the unique needs of single parents who balance academic pursuits with familial responsibilities. Drawing from her own experiences as a single parent, Gameiro highlighted the fear and stigma that often prevents parents from seeking help when they need it most.
“As a single mother, there’s nothing more terrifying than telling a professional that I don’t feel like I’m managing well,” she said. “Do [professionals] think I’m not managing well as a mom?”
The initiative seeks to provide peer-based mental health support groups, workshops providing essential skills and family-friendly socials. Additionally, it aims to enhance accessibility to daycare services and reimagined note-sharing strategies.
“If I go to school to get my masters and become a licensed therapist, it would be achievable and not a pipedream”
Mature students show that education is not confined to one path or a timeline. Rather, its non-linear path can bring about an enriching experience. The decision to return to school—whether to climb the corporate ladder, start up a new venture, or simply set an example for future generations—is and will always be an act of courage and purpose.
“Life happens, and it rarely follows a straight line. In my language we say, ‘When someone knocks your head, they’re not trying to break it–they’re helping you stiffen your neck,’” said Amenya.
“Challenges are life’s way of helping you grow. If you don’t learn from one, you’ll repeat it.”
“So when life gets hard, step back, reflect, and move forward. Every challenge is a chance to grow stronger.”
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