Parveer is an absolute sweetheart whom I had the honour of teaching at FFCA quite a few years ago now. She is an alumnus from the University of Calgary’s Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies degree program, and she spent a few years working as an Education Assistant in a special needs classroom, which gave her the confidence to pursue an advanced degree in Education to continue working with children as their teacher. Presently, while working as a teacher, she is pursuing her Master’s in Professional Education, with a specialization in Social Justice, Equity, and Diversity. She hopes to continue in this field as a special education teacher, working to help students succeed with the necessary tools to learn, while also using her professional training as an advocate for families of children with disabilities.

Growing up, I wanted to be everything I found exciting (we now know that was my ADHD). There was one thing that remained consistent in what I wanted to DO: I wanted to help others. As I grew older, I found myself going to others for advice on what I should do to make sure I would be financially stable enough in life, so I started planning the path they suggested for me. I was convinced I would be a doctor; I had a plan to follow with every course I needed to take. I went to every information session during grades 11 and 12 to curate the “perfect plan”, but then things took a turn when I did not get into Kinesiology. I had to come up with a new plan. I wanted to control as much of my future as I could and live up to others’ expectations. It took me a while to realize that I was not enjoying the stress of living up to someone else’s idea of success for me. 

My first two years of university taught me A LOT. I began my first year at the University of Calgary doing Arts undeclared, then I transferred to MRU to do Policy Studies (a brown girl in politics – ya no, I was not pursuing that). The first two years, I was confused. I was dealing with a lot more anxiety than I wanted to admit. I knew I needed support, and I had to put my pride aside to finally go to an anxiety support group (I really dreaded this). Plot twist: this changed my life, my perception of the little things, the big things, and the way I started to see life. That experience, plus the book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living really impacted me. I had to learn to retrain my brain, and to let go of the control I wanted with this perfect plan.

When I started to let go, things began working out, and I think it was meant to happen this way. I was volunteering at the Children’s Hospital with the goal of pursuing medical school in the future, but it led me to a better path. One of the employees was in the Community Rehab and Disability studies (CRDS) program at the UofC, so during my time there, I learned more about the program and found myself drawn to it more and more. I even did some respite care, which started my journey supporting children with disabilities. So, during my third year, until graduation, I was a CRDS student, now an alumnus. The program started with me unsure if this was the right thing, but by the end, I did not regret a moment of it. The practicums led me to working as an Education Assistant (EA) in a specialized setting for neurodiverse students, and this led me to the next chapter that I didn’t expect or plan for. Still, it really tied things together; it filled a gap I didn’t know was there. The principal, my boss at the time, asked me if I ever thought about teaching, and honestly, I hadn’t since I was a child. There were times when I was reading to my stuffies pretending to be a teacher, and I guess that was the start, and being an EA was meant to bring that full circle.

So, then came degree number two, and boy, did that humble me. It was tiring and emotional, but just what I needed. When I wasn’t in a classroom, I didn’t feel complete. This was how I knew for sure that I was working toward the right thing. I am now teaching neurodiverse students in the same type of specialized setting as when I was an EA – things really came full circle. Every person I met, every experience I had, made sense; they were meant to happen, and it happened when I let go and let the universe take control. I really believe in the universe always having a plan. The seeds in the pictures are ones I will remember forever. They reflected the students’ growth so well. There were some students with a dramatic growth in the year, and others with a slow and steady growth, and that is exactly how these seeds grew. This job is beautiful because I have these seeds I now nurture and care for, and my job is to remove barriers in their growth, the things that stop them from growing. I had to learn to let go in order for them to grow. Neurodiverse kids are not easy if you are not committed to finding the things stopping them from growing. The thing stopping me from growing in my journey was my mindset, my will for control over every piece of my life’s puzzle. 

I have been able to combine my two degrees and specialize in supporting students with disabilities. My jobs as a respite aid and an EA helped me learn more about the realities and hardships of gaining supports for children with disabilities. I learned about second-hand trauma over the past 7 years. This gave me the confidence to present at the CRDSSA Disability Research Conference 2 years in a row now – WHAT?! 18-year-old me would be amazed. I use my two degrees and my experiences working with families of children with disabilities to spread awareness about issues. I am currently pursuing a Master’s in Professional Education, with a specialization in Social Justice, Equity, and Diversity. I hope to use this to advocate for families of children with disabilities on a larger platform and make real change. My job and my Master’s anger me (I love my job and Master’s to be clear) when I see the roadblocks to success, but I channel that anger into my assignments and my day-to-day work with students. 

My advice for someone starting out is to let go of your need for control for a minute, look around at where you are now, and maybe you will find some peace. Just like baking, you need to trust the process; good things take time.