Persona – Luis

For years I have been a huge advocate for mental health, and it was my dream to become a therapist after finishing my undergraduate degree. But it was only after I started my undergraduate degree, I realized that a master's degree is required for most jobs related to the psychology field. I am an international student, and I could not afford another degree. I also could not fly back home after university - it would be a shame after all that hope my parents had in me to build a life here. Beyond the traditional pathways of being a psychologist or therapist I was not sure what other opportunities are available to me with my degree. I knew I had to find a relevant job after graduation, quickly, and without a master’s degree, somehow...

In the beginning of the year, I was growing anxious about my future. As I came closer and closer to graduating, I was feeling the stress of not knowing what I can pursue after I finish my degree. I was having trouble finding career resources specifically catered to people in psychology. I sometimes received U of T emails saying that there are some internship or co-op opportunities in psychology, and maybe it’s just me, but even after reading those emails, I still felt like I’m missing some details. So, I usually just tried to find co-op or internship opportunities on my own on sites like LinkedIn. Sending out cold emails wasn’t working, and I also had a really busy class schedule, so I couldn’t make much progress in my search.

With no good established prospects after graduation, I noticed my mental health started deteriorating. But I remember one time I saw a poster on a bulletin board in Robarts library promoting a co-op opportunity at CAMH. Although it was not exactly my dream work at the time, I applied and landed it. That opportunity changed everything for me. Working with so many different people gave me a chance to not only network with professionals, but to discover and learn more about myself. Interacting with so many mental health specialists there made me even more excited to realize that this was the kind of work I want to continue doing. I quickly figured out what I liked and disliked about the job early on and felt so much more certain about the pathway to pursue and much less stressed than I was before about my future. And actually, my excitement took me to become one of the best co-op interns there.

At the end of my co-op term, I was really lucky to receive a contract role at CAMH! And now I am proud to tell my parents I managed to pursuit my dream, even if the direction changed just a touch. I realize how fortunate I am, especially as an international student, because not everyone is as lucky to receive a job offer so early on. My path to finding this position hasn’t been easy but I’m grateful about the outcome.