Sarah Saqib knew from an early age that postsecondary education could open doors and create new opportunities. What she didn’t yet realize is how big a role Seneca Polytechnic would play in her journey.

Ms. Saqib first came to Seneca to acquire a diploma in Accounting, then followed a pathway to the Honours Bachelor of Commerce – International Business Management degree program. Following her passion led her away from business and toward supporting others’ mental health, prompting her to return to Seneca as a student in the Addictions and Mental Health graduate certificate program.

She discusses the changes she and Seneca have undergone since she first came to campus a decade ago.

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland but I grew up primarily in Canada. We came as immigrants and we grew up in a low-income area of Toronto. That shaped a lot of where I want to be because our motto was that hard work and education are going to get you out of here. That’s why my focus has always been education.

I’ve chosen Seneca three times now. My family are all graduates; four out of five of us have gone to Seneca. My mom actually started at Seneca initially for her ECE diploma because it gave her the flexibility to be able to work and raise her kids and go to school. My sister did the accounting degree program before I did and I had seen her do really well. I saw the good things Seneca brought the rest of my family, so I followed suit – and then after that, my brother enrolled here for the software development degree program.

I started with the diploma and was able to pathway to a degree. I got my accounting diploma, which actually set me up really well to get part-time jobs. I worked in accounting for a bit and then returned to Seneca because I wanted to finish my degree because my goal was to go on to graduate studies.

After I did my masters, I wanted more of a niche. Education and mental health were dual passions and then Seneca offered the graduate certificate in addictions and mental health, which was great because I had the education to get into that program. And it was asynchronous, meaning it was flexible, so I could continue to work while building my education.

I’ve always had a really great experience with the small class sizes. And my professors are all very, very passionate about what they do. They instill that passion in their students and they’re always helpful. Anytime I’ve struggled with the subject, wanted to have a meeting with them or even needed reference letters for grad school, my professors and program co-ordinators have written those for me. They’re invested in their students.

When I first started, there weren’t online classes — that just did not exist. All of my classes were in person. Now my program is fully online and fully asynchronous. That flexibility has definitely advanced. I’ve also noticed a change in the support services. We have The Service Hub now, which is a one-stop shop for student services. 

I was painfully shy when I started at Seneca but I did go on some of the trips that the Seneca Student Federation organized — one time they rented out an entire trampoline park. That was a nice way to meet people outside my program. It got me out of my shell.

A lot of my soft skills. Because I was so shy, there were courses where they would make us speak to a new person every day and I just wouldn’t go to class. Over time I learned that these skills can be developed. I actually ended up taking a presentation skills course that forced me to speak publicly. I think the biggest thing was learning that there is a lot of potential that you can harness.

My mom. She’s always been my inspiration. She’s always been the hardest-working person I know. She worked multiple jobs, raised three kids almost on her own and made sure all of us were really locked into our education. As a kid, I learned early that education wasn’t just important — it was my way out of hardship and a path to my dreams.

A lot of things! I have spent the year trying to learn more skills. I like to travel, so every year I go on one or two vacations, whatever I can manage. I’m taking painting classes and learning Spanish as well. I just like to learn!

I’m hoping to mix my two passions of education and mental health. My dream would be doing something like counselling at a postsecondary level. And I like the mental health piece because it’s a little bit more holistic — it's not just about the education, it’s about everything that it encompasses.

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