Hadj Benseddik understands what it means to face adversity — and what it means to overcome it.

Mr. Benseddik was born in Algeria and moved to Canada when he was 11. As a young man, he saw his postsecondary journey derailed when his father passed away. For the next 10 years, he bounced from job to job and found his life becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.

Now, having overcome his personal trauma, Mr. Benseddik is entering his final year of studies in Seneca Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering) degree program.

He discusses the path that led him to Seneca, the perspective that helps him thrive as a mature student and the career possibilities open to him after he graduates.

I finished high school in 2009 and went to TMU for mechanical engineering. Sadly, my father was terminally ill at this time, which affected me deeply. My grades dropped. Over four years, I only managed to finish about half the program. I was in a tough place mentally, and I eventually decided that school just wasn’t for me — at least not then.

I bounced around different jobs — I worked technical support at a hospital, fraud prevention at a bank, teaching assistance, freelance web development, back and forth. But it never felt right because I was missing a solid foundation. When you graduate, a degree proves you have the dedication to stick through a challenging program, and I didn’t have that.

In 2021, I said “OK, I never had the chance to finish my education. Here’s a second opportunity at life. Let me see if I can redo it.” I restarted my high school courses and then spoke to my academic counsellor, who said Seneca was a great option and advised me to consider their programs. I applied and got accepted. I really like it. My program is very good and Seneca has a strong reputation in the industry. For preparing me for employment, this is the place.

I was out of school for so long that it felt like I needed to restart my brain. Every day was a challenge at first. At 31, I had to completely rebuild my confidence. It's hard not to focus on where you feel you “should” be at that age — already established in a career and settled in life. But whenever those negative thoughts crept in, I reminded myself why I was there. I chose to get my life back on track, and I committed to pushing forward every single day.

I used to compare myself to my peers — just that comparison was detrimental. My confidence was down when I started. I told myself, “Forget age, I’m still the same person, and I still have a future ahead of me.” It’s just a matter of how badly you want it and whether you are willing to work hard and persist when times get tough. Take it one semester at a time.

Ever since I was young, I've been deeply curious about how things work. I realized early on that the only way to truly satisfy that curiosity was to gain the technical knowledge needed to answer the questions I had. That’s why I always knew engineering was the way to go. In 2009, I chose mechanical engineering because my ultimate dream was robotics. Since software engineering is another major aspect of robotics, studying it today ensures I still have a clear path to that industry.

My parents were lifelong educators. My father was a university professor who eventually served as a faculty director. My mother recently retired after a career spanning over 40 years as a teacher. With extended family also in the teaching profession, a deep respect for education has been present all along. For me, it is not just about earning a degree, achieving status or gaining domain knowledge. Education is a tool that sharpens your mind for life.

Seneca is preparing us so well that I know I’ll be ready to work as a software developer on day one. My plan is to start working right after graduation while pursuing a master's degree part-time. I am considering a technical master’s in robotics, a master’s in project management to become a technical project manager, or a master’s of education to follow my family's path and teach. All of these possibilities are incredibly exciting to me.

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