What colleges have you attended?
When people ask me this, they probably expect a list of institutions with impressive names or notable reputations. And sure, I’ve attended colleges in Vancouver and Toronto, picking up valuable knowledge along the way. But if I’m being honest, the absolute best college I’ve ever attended was… life on the streets.
That’s right: the streets.
Once I stepped out of my parents’ overprotective household, I was thrown into a world I was utterly unprepared for. Suddenly, it was up to me to figure things out—fast. No safety nets, no curated schedules, no one checking if I’d eaten lunch. At first, I floundered, but instincts I didn’t even know I had began to kick in.
I learned how to keep myself out of harm’s way, how to read people’s intentions, and—just as importantly—how to find those rare gems of kindness and wisdom that the world offers when you least expect it. I sussed out strangers, sought experiences that nourished me, and discovered what I was truly capable of.
The streets didn’t just teach me lessons—they made me a student for life.
Words Have Power 