Q: What is your full name, age, and city of residence?
A: I’m a little hesitant to give my full name because I value my privacy, especially online. Let’s just use my first name—Eren. I’m 26. And I live in Ottawa.
Q: Tell me the story of how exactly you ended up here today. Where you were born, where you grew up, moved to, who was involved in your story, your path to this exact moment.
A: So my parents are from Turkey. I was born in Toronto, and we moved to Ottawa when I was two years old, so I’ve basically been here ever since.
Growing up, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I did my undergraduate degree in Communication and Media Studies, and even after finishing that, I still honestly wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. My parents noticed that I was pretty strong academically, so they recommended I pursue graduate studies.
I went back to Carleton University to do my Master’s in Communication with a specialization in Data Science. That was a really interesting time. I wrote my thesis on the governance of mental health data in Canada, specifically looking at mental health data brokers.
After that, I worked in government. Government life has been interesting, but it’s not something I’m truly passionate about. What I’m actually passionate about is mental health and interacting with people.
So this fall, I’m going back to school for another Master’s in Counseling, Psychotherapy, and Spirituality here in Ottawa. My goal is to become a psychotherapist.
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment?
A: Honestly, probably just helping other people—connecting with people, connecting with their souls, and understanding who they are.
Also, creating a non-judgmental space where people feel heard, seen, supported, and validated. I don’t think I have one single greatest accomplishment. I think it’s more about trying to be present—for myself and for others—and creating a space of loving kindness and openness.
The moments where I’ve been able to maintain that mindset are the moments where I’ve felt most present and most satisfied with life.
Q: What is your greatest regret?
A: Honestly, I don’t really know. I think every decision I’ve made has brought me to where I am today.
If I could go back, maybe I would tell myself to pursue graduate studies in psychology or psychotherapy earlier instead of doing my first Master’s degree. That would have saved me some time and money.
But at the same time, that degree brought me to where I am now, and I’m happy with where I am today.
I actually read a book called The Midnight Library, and it’s about a girl with lots of regrets who enters this library where she gets to see how different life choices would have changed her path.
The moral of the story is that no matter what path you choose, there will always be problems, challenges, and maybe regrets. Ultimately, all we really have is now. Focusing too much on what you did or didn’t do in the past can keep you stuck there.
So I’d say I try not to live with regret. I try to learn from mistakes and apply those lessons moving forward.
Q: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
A: I think I mentioned it before when talking about my greatest accomplishment. I’d say I really value how kind and open-minded I am.
I think I have a real gift for connecting with people. I can feel people’s emotions very deeply, and I feel like I have a high level of emotional and social intelligence.
I really appreciate those qualities because they help me connect not only with other people, but also with myself. That ability to understand and connect is something I’m really grateful for.
