As many Canadians enter back to school season, I have been reflecting on the transformative power of education in my life and the lives of so many. My family came to Canada as immigrants from Jamaica. When we arrived, my mother worked in a garment factory and my father was a parking lot attendant.
Their shared dream was that their son would emerge as a leader and benefit the lives of others and their shared belief was that education would be the vehicle to propel me into a successful and impactful future.
I moved through the ladder of education at the guidance of my parents and became particularly inspired when I reached law school and learned about Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Constitution Act of 1982. Section 27 on legal rights pertaining to multiculturalism spoke to me as it reflected what I felt made Canada so fantastic and made the City of Toronto so amazing.
Upon reading Section 27, I made the decision to become a constitutional law expert, I went on to join the Department of Justice for seven years, write the equity and diversity of procurement policy for the City of Toronto, write the equity and diversity policy for the Pan Am Games, and support others in their fight for justice in my role as an attorney.
Education has transformed my life and enabled me to achieve many of the dreams of my parents and my ancestors. I truly hope that we can continue to encourage education as the vehicle for transformation in the generations to come as we know that now is their time to shape the future.