Alumni Profile - Tim O'Brien | Seneca Business | Seneca Polytechnic

I had no idea of what was to come. I was 57, and starting the Accelerated Paralegal Program. Twelve months of full-time school, something I had not done for … 34 years. The fact was, I had a lot of fear that this decision was a horrible mistake. A mistake that would cost me a year that I could little afford to regret. Looking back, I could never have predicted the type of personal growth that my 12 months at Seneca would provide. First of all, I was astonished at the diversity of the student population. For me this was deep immersion into the new reality of Canada. And that alone should be worth the price of admission. And what an impressive group of students, filled with humility, intelligence and constant respect for each other. The other major takeaway was the commitment of the instructors. This program had a torrid pace and a mountain of material yet the instructors forever demanded rigorously
formulated submissions (and thinking). There were no easy outs. For me, the push to be academically excellent was a true test and something I relished. I miss those days now. That year was easily one of the best of my life. Being a student is a privilege and to be surrounded by people who care, people who demand a lot and people from around the world is really a pretty good deal. (Today, I do a lot things; some legal service work, some business consulting, some podcast producing and some bad golf play).

SB Newsletter: Fall 2020