As Trent University Durham GTA’s Convocation is now finished and I was there to witness the graduates have their moment to celebrate their successes, I find myself reflecting on my own journey at Trent Durham. I hope that my story proves to you that it is never too late to start your academic journey.

In 2011, I made the decision to go back to university as a mature student after years of being a stay-at-home mom. At the time, I never expected a career in academia, I just thought I needed a degree to have any chance at securing a decent job.

Going back was not an easy decision, given that my children were young and that I had been away from school for almost a decade; but all it took was a meeting with an academic adviser and a mature student to really make me believe that I could do it.

So, I began my B.Sc. in psychology at Trent Durham, and graduated with honours in 2015. Almost a decade later, I returned to Trent Durham as an assistant professor in the psychology department. It’s a full circle moment!

Having now experienced both sides of the lectern at Trent Durham, I can unequivocally say the small class sizes here offer not only exceptional in-class learning experiences, they also provide opportunities for professors to really get to know their students and help them pursue their careers.

After Trent, I went on to complete my graduate degree at the University of Toronto, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at KITE-University Health Network.

It was during my fellowship that I found out that Trent Durham was offering a faculty position in psychology, and I was more than thrilled when I received the position.

In addition to teaching, I have launched my research program focused on improving the lives of older adults and their care partners. My interest in aging research, in fact, began during my undergraduate years at Trent Durham, when I wrote a research paper on older adults for a class assignment.

Today, I not only get to pursue the research that I love, but I also teach most of the psychology courses on aging offered at the Durham campus.

So yes, I was able to do it. I have a wonderful job in a career I love, but I did not do it alone. The professors I had when I started my journey at Trent are now my colleagues, but they never stopped being my mentors. Without amazing mentors, peers, and my family, I would not be where I am today.

Trent Durham was only the beginning for me. So, to the graduating class of 2024: congratulations! Welcome to your beginning. No matter where this journey takes you next, know that you are not alone.

Dr. Raheleh Saryazdi earned her B.Sc. in Psychology at Trent Durham, and graduated with honours in 2015. She is now teaches at Trent Durham as an assistant professor in the psychology department.

This article was originally published in Durham Region.com.