‘Your dreams can still come true’: A message to incoming students from a new graduate

This month, the Department of Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education (LHAE) held a meet-and-greet to welcome our incoming students. In attendance, one of the department’s recent grads, Melanie Chiu, wrote a grad message to herself – and shared it with anyone who would care to listen. 

Chiu, a real estate broker and professional development consultant, graduated with a Master of Education from OISE this spring. This moment is a culmination of different elements – since 2019, Chiu’s son Liam has been battling cancer.

Her speech tells us why she chose to go back to school (in particular, to OISE), how important it was for her to complete her master’s degree, and what this milestone means to her. We have shared her message below and have edited her message for clarity and structure.

In 2006, I graduated from OISE. Here I am exactly 20 years later!

Convocation is not just a graduation ceremony. For each of us it represents something very different, something very personal.

In 2023, when I learned that Liam had relapsed, I spent months holding myself together until I couldn’t. The situation led me to give up a brokerage leadership role that I loved. I had to shift focus from finances to the well-being of all my children. I couldn’t really face the day with the same pizzaz that I already worked so hard to overcome – from the previous 2019 -2021 treatment phase, and COVID lockdowns during my third maternity leave.

I wanted to be happy. I wanted to find my pizzazz. So I prayed – a lot. And He revealed to me: Go to school!

School had always represented a happy place for me. I love learning, I am always curious and I like a good challenge that feeds my brain. So, I enrolled in grad school at OISE. I always wanted to get a master’s degree – it seemed cool. After all, it's the gateway to a doctorate.

I thought to myself ‘If I am meant to disappear from the outside world again to take care of my family, then it might as well be grad school on the side to keep me happy, stay connected and, when it's all done, I get to return to the outside world better than I left it.

So, I applied and got accepted.

I devoted my studies to my two favourite things: education and real estate education for agents. I started slow – part-time only, one course per semester (for the fall, winter and spring terms). 

To my surprise, most of the classes were made up of 20-year-olds to many working moms like myself. With the loving and relentless support of my husband, my family (parents, siblings, and children) I was able to finish in three years instead of six! I doubled up [my workload] in Year 3 – 2025/26 to become full time. And, at this point, Liam was back to school.

However, early 2025, brought another relapse for Liam. But I was committed to finishing school.

What did I learn? I learned that circumstances will always change that you cannot control. You can only control how you turn up, show up, and give it your best – day by day. 

And at times, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute. A break and reset days are essential.

What does convocation mean to me? It means showing my kids that life gets incredibly tough and with love and family, we can get through it.

It means learning never stops, feed your curiosity and contribute your knowledge to uplift others.

It means making new friends that increases the pizzazz. Purchasing the beautifully framed keepsake document will be my thank you card and closing gift to myself.

It is the reminder that says, “Melanie, no matter the circumstances, your dreams can still come true! Thank you for not forgetting who you are and what you are capable of.

“And yes, I think you are coming back to the outside world better than you left it.”