I subscribe to the belief that over the course of one's life, there are signs that point you in the right direction - even if they're not obvious at first glance. 

Over four years ago, I was offered the opportunity to work in the front office of an NBA G League organization. Halfway through the process of uprooting my life and moving to the United States, I was informed that not having a university degree would complicate matters. 

It soon dawned on me that it wasn't going to happen. I blamed myself for getting in my own way. While it hurt to have a dream opportunity slip through my fingers, that experience pushed me in the direction I needed to go. Shortly after, I applied and was accepted to the Journalism program at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). 

Those were doors that I needed to walk through, but it wasn't the first sign that I followed. For Asian Heritage Month, it's easy for me to reflect on my grandfather, who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He would have been thrilled to know that I'm the Digital Marketing and Communications Administrator in TMU's Athletics department for the summer.  



I am a Filipino-Canadian. While my family has always supported my ambitions, my mother and father fell into the stereotype of Filipino parents wanting their children to work in healthcare. Growing up, I loved two things: playing sports and telling stories. The nursing profession, unfortunately, only leverages the latter part of my skill set. 

My grandfather often suggested a contrarian perspective, and that positioned him as someone who urged me to pursue my creative interests. My heart knew he was right, but life got in the way. I ended up working in sales after high school, subsequently taking what was once a dream of crafting sports stories and transforming that passion more into an opportunistic hobby to pass the time. 

I fell into a trap of being comfortable. The thought of breaking free didn't hit me until just before the pandemic lockdown. My grandfather quickly became ill during this time, but whenever I got a chance, I kept him updated on everything I was doing in the world of sports. He was ecstatic to hear that I was back on track. 



I remember the last time I saw him alive. We had all gone out for a family lunch just before everything was shut down. He was physically present, but verbally unavailable. To this day, I'm not entirely sure if his eyes were beaming with approval after hearing the latest updates on my career pivot. But that's what I like to tell myself. 

Not only did he push me to pursue my dreams again, but my grandfather also inspired me to reconnect with my culture. He wasn't around to see it, but he would have gotten a kick out of knowing the Basketball Federation of the Philippines covered my expenses to help coach their esports team at the 2023 FIBA World Finals in Sweden. 

With my graduation at TMU set for June, I'm excited to share the moment with my family. My mom is quick to remind me that it'll be her first time attending a graduation ceremony in-person. She just narrowly missed out when my brother had a remote ceremony during the pandemic. As a child of a first-generation immigrant, I understand how special a benchmark that is for a parent.  

Walking across the stage will be for her, my grandfather, and the rest of my family. 

It took me some time to figure it out but I get it now. Thank you for the map that guided me to where I needed to be.