Yeah… kinda fell on my lap, to be honest. Writing a book was not one of my goals; in fact, my eyes were set on something entirely different before I started writing my memoir. That thing was the dream at the beginning of the book, which slowly shifted to make room for something new.

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After graduating with my bachelor's degree in 2016, I left my home country to attend grad school in the U.S. I got an MBA in Chicago before moving to Toronto for another master’s degree, and I have spent most of my career in consulting. I moved from country to country in pursuit of my professional goals and dreams, but being an international student and a (minority) professional in North America came with many challenges, systemic or otherwise.

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Despite having been born into a relatively large family (I’m the fifth of six children), I also faced challenges associated with being the first to pursue certain things. While my siblings all have graduate degrees, their educational and professional paths are completely different from what I envisioned for myself. This means I navigated new systems and new spaces with little to no guidance.

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My mental health suffered a lot along the way; that said, there came a moment when I wanted to share my story. To encourage and inspire, but also to educate and share the lessons I learned. So, at 24 years old in 2020, I started writing a book that would see the day four and a half years later. It is my biggest accomplishment so far.

 

Dreams come true, and mine will too was a mantra before it became the title of my memoir. ​Because mental health is also a central theme in my book, I decided to publish it on World Mental Health Day, October 10.