SuccessBeyond

After completing my diploma in Early Childhood Education at Seneca , I was quite happy in this field. However, due to physical and life changes, I was forced to give up this occupation.

After several years of taking care of my own family and neighbor’s children from my home, I felt it was time to find a new career path. A friend of mine who was actively pursuing their master’s in psychology suggested the behavioral sciences path and felt I would have great success. She wasn’t wrong!

I decided to enroll in Seneca’s Behavioral Sciences program (BHS), and, although I wasn’t sure at the time where it would lead, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to complete it.

As I enjoyed the BHS diploma program so much, I decided to take advantage of the academic pathway towards the Bachelor of Behavioural Psychology (BBP). This pathway would allow me to complete a degree in roughly two more years.

Continuing my education through this pathway has been a fantastic experience and I do not regret my decision . Taking Behavioral Psychology has allowed me to understand many of the career options available, and has given me the potential to find a specialization in a master’s degree (if I choose to continue this pathway).

As I entered the BHS program during the pandemic, I was given the opportunity to take all my courses online. For me, this was fantastic, because I am visually impaired and cannot drive, and getting places by transit can prove a little difficult. Although I consider myself to be a little more on the introverted side, I felt free to express my opinions and add to discussions. This was different for everyone of course, as some people prefer to listen and absorb, rather than share out loud, and that worked just as well.

Although it took some time to find other students that I really connected with , it was nice to get to know many of my classmates through online discussions, break-out rooms, and group work.

I also found that professors were learning how to adjust their teaching styles to this new online world and worked with students and asked for feedback to identify what styles worked better for the majority, while giving multiple formats for learning (such as videos, recordings, readings, discussions, group work, individual assignments, and open correspondence options).

My most memorable experiences at Seneca came from working with professors and other students and hearing their  perspectives to work together as an online community. We all found ways to work together inside and outside of class hours and developed memorable relationships and rapport with one another.

I also feel extremely lucky to have worked beside so many students of different ages, cultures and life experiences. This experience gave me the unique opportunity to learn from my colleagues, and professors.

The professors in both the BHS and BBP programs are phenomenal and bring so much of their own work experience to the teaching environment, allowing them to share valuable information with students.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity and ability to participate in a few extracurricular activities. Seneca’s Peer Mentorship program (SMILE) allowed me to assist new students to Seneca with their transition in an online learning environment. It can seem daunting to start a new educational path– whether one has experience in a post-secondary education, or is attending straight out of high school, or even as an international student navigating online programs and interacting with virtual strangers.

The mentor program provides a source for  students to ask questions, find information and be directed to services in an accepting, inviting and non-judgmental environment. Personally, I found this experience invaluable. It can be challenging for a new student to adjust to the online teaching environment, and providing a friendly face and to provide answers and information made me feel I was making a difference in the life of at least one student.

The other extracurricular activity I participated in was the  Behavioural Exploration Club (Bex). This club was available for students who are enrolled in the BHS and BBP programs to join. This club has introduced me to other students in these programs, from all semesters, and has given me opportunities to attend many workshops, information sessions, and events (many of these opportunities being online).

I was also granted the opportunity to help plan a Gala event for our program, which was an honor and quite exciting as it was the first in-person event for our program after the pandemic lockdown. A second event in-person included performing skits to help inform students of how applied behaviour analysis can impact a wide range of situations, behaviours and environments.

During my four to five years enrolled in both the BHS and BBP programs, I have been given the opportunity to attend numerous workshops and conferences, such as the Geneva Symposium for Autism, the OBM Conference, Ageism workshops, career planning and goal setting workshops, and many more.

While enrolled in the BHS diploma program, I was unsure whether I would continue and follow the pathway to BBP.  However, by the time I was completing BHS, I was certain I wanted to continue my education and follow the pathway to BBP.  The professors and courses inboth the programs were  phenomenal!

This decision was probably one of the best I have ever made, as I feel if I had stopped at achieving the diploma, I would have missed out on major components of the world of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) including Organizational behaviour management, ABA in the education system, statistics and the experience each professor shares in each course every semester.

Furthermore, if I had not continued on and followed the pathway to BBP, I would not have the opportunity to seek a master’s degree if I choose to do so.

Information regarding the pathway from the BHS program to the BBP program was available on the Seneca website, and this piqued my interest when deciding to apply to BHS. Knowing that I had the opportunity to achieve a degree through Seneca was very appealing.

During my time in the BHS program, information regarding the pathway to BBP was offered regularly through professors and we had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more information when guests would attend certain classes to provide details regarding the pathway.

We were also given information and dates through our academic advisor, which was helpful to stay on track of when and how we needed to apply to the academic pathway.

The BHS program allowed for a seamless transition to the BBP program. I was able to compare some of my learning experiences from BHS to those students who attended BBP from semester one. Many of the courses aligned andthe BHS program gave my section the ability to become well acquainted with one another as many of us decided to take the pathway option to BBP. Ee brought our camaraderie along with us into the BBP program and began to create a mutual connection with the BBP students.

The transition was extremely smooth from the BHS to BBP program. While I believe part of this was due to peers continuing through the pathway along side me, the other factor was that many of the same professors taught in both BHS and BBP.  This added  familiarity and provided a certain comfort level proceeding into the degree pathway.

The summer pathway semester consisted of a few courses, but allowed the BHS students to catch-up with our BBP peers and provided us with missing programs we would need to continue successfully. This summer semester also introduced us to new professors that we would encounter regularly in the BBP degree program.

Having both a diploma and degree and achieving both in the same amount of time as I would have to complete the degree, is phenomenal. Completing a diploma gives me a major sense of pride and accomplishment, and adding the degree on top of that is the icing on the cake. Having a degree allows me to access future education paths in other degree and master’s programs and provide more career opportunities.

If you are considering a degree and are already in a diploma program, you have already begun your journey!  There are so many wonderful pathway programs available at Seneca, and  I can honestly say, if you are enjoying the BHS program, it just gets better from there.

The BBP degree program is not redundant after taking the BHS diploma program, rather it solidifies the learning you have experienced and builds upon it further. The BBP degree exposes you to more ideas, fields of education and employment and leaves you with a great deal of options for your future.

Balancing life, school and work is easier said than done; it takes patience, time, and organizational skills. As a single mother with children, working part-time while managing a physical disability and coping with depression, I am proud to have achieved a diploma and am nearing completion of my degree.

When I needed help, I sought it out, whether from professors, or counselling and accessibility, academic advisors, financial aid, and program coordinators.

My number one suggestion is to always remember you are not alone in your education– fellow students are very likely to be experiencing the same or similar situations. Talk to your peers and professors  find out what services are available to you. Seneca offers great educational support. If you need them, don’t hesitate to use them!

I am entering my last semester in the BBP degree program, and it is extremely exciting!  Currently I am finishing up my integrated work term, which is in a local elementary school.  I am assisting the special education resource teacher in the kindergarten classrooms, and I have learned a great deal from my placement, the teachers, staff, administrators, and children I have had the benefit of working and playing alongside.

My own children are in grades 5 and 11, and it is a challenging but exciting time for them as well. My youngest son has type one diabetes, ADHD, a mood disorder and is now being assessed for a learning disability.

I am incredibly thankful for what I have learned and experienced through the BHS and BBP programs as they have helped me improve my own behaviours and assist my children in finding methods that work best for them.

I have also begun to foster rescue dogs in need of a temporary home, and  my education has also helped me train and identify behaviors of concern in these pups as well. The applications of applied behavioral analysis are abundant.

The abundance of applications of ABA presents me with the challenge of deciding where to focus my next steps. I will have the opportunity to pursue a master in several different fields, such as counselling, becoming a board-certified ABA (after accomplishing a master degree), continuing in the elementary school system, and continuing to learn more regarding Organizational behaviour management (OBM).

Originally, my goal was to help create an intergenerational centre where individuals of all ages could take part in programs together. I feel there is a need for these centers in communities as there is much stigma surrounding aging adults, as well as their views toward youth. Bringing these generations together and providing a safe environment where they can learn, laugh, and grow from one another, I feel, is something we are missing in our society.

However, I am uncertain of how to go about creating such a community center and how I can use my skills from BHS and BBP to make this dream a reality. Therefore, I feel pursuing further education and experience in the world of OBM might be of great value.