Differing political views are not seen as a deterrent for acceptance into university. In fact, Canadian universities encourage a diversity of opinions. But this is not always the case in other countries.
Samad Dibazar always expressed a love for learning, gaining top honours at his high school in Iran.
Although he was among the best students of his class, he was denied the opportunity to write a university entrance exam because he was against the Iran-Iraq war and refused to join the army.
His political views left him ineligible to receive a passport and forced Dibazar to flee the country. He travelled at night through dangerous mountain ranges and hid in daylight to avoid being captured or shot.
After arriving in Turkey unharmed, Dibazar made a fateful decision to move to Canada.
He was a stranger in his new home and quickly went from the top of his class to not being able to order a coffee. He learned English and was later admitted to The University of Western Ontario.
The cultural, language and age barriers Dibazar encountered made his initial experience at Western challenging; however, he persevered and completed a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
To further his education, Dibazar took several courses from Continuing Studies at Western after being employed on a full-time basis.
Dibazar’s remarkable journey made him a natural candidate for an Adult Learner Award from the London Council for Adult Education, says Donna Moore, Mature Student Advisor and Manager for the Centre for New Students.
He was among 18 learners – four are from Western – from a variety of educational institutions and agencies in London to receive the award handed out on May 12. The awards recognize the benefits of adult learning in the lives of these individuals.
“I always find the stories of students who have overcome adversity and persist to be successful in academic studies to be inspiring,” says Moore.
“Mature students often show strength of character. I’ve know many mature students who have made significant changes in their lives to make attending university possible. They put themselves into a new complex environment, which would test their self-identity and abilities.”
For the past 20 years, the London Council for Adult Education has been holding an annual awards ceremony. These were set up to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of learners in the council’s member organizations.
The learners who are chosen show that their lives have been enhanced as a result of their involvement with adult education.
Western offers support to mature students balancing university life with careers, families and other personal challenges. The Student Development Centre (including the Learning Skills and the Writing Support Centre) and The Career Centre @ Western are among the many services available on campus.
Other Adult Learner Award winners from Western are:
Janet Baker, a Masters of Education student in the Faculty of Education
Janet Baker is a mature adult learner with both formal education and a life of experience. Her field is health care, but her interests are in how elementary school teachers socialize into the profession.
As a health care professional, she would often visit the schools in the London area. She found that teachers were busy people and not always willing to connect with other organizations in the community. Her research examines why teachers might hesitate to embrace the broader community as part of their work.
Michelle Iurman, undergraduate student in Film and Italian Studies
Michelle Iurman approaches her university studies with the skills she uses to be successful in life as a musician, performer, and teacher.
Iurman has performed off-Broadway in musical theatre and is known as the “national anthem specialist,” having sung six different country’s anthems at major events. She is also known for the CD she produced “Lest we Forget: A Salute to Veterans.”
The Film and Italian Studies student has faced many challenges throughout her academic career but has always persevered.
Due to illness, she had to withdraw from Western twice. She also faced the recent loss of three people dear to her, including her grandmother with whom she was very close.
Ricardo Munoz-Castiblanco, Faculty of Graduate Studies (MA in Hispanic Studies)
Ricardo Munoz-Castiblanco came to London as a refugee from Colombia. Now in his 60s, he is in the second year of the MA program in Hispanic Studies, and he has been accepted to the PhD program.
Years before he joined Western as a student, he organized “La tertulia,” a meeting of people who want to speak Spanish. La tertulia takes place every Wednesday and participants spend hours exchanging ideas and learning about each other, about Canada, and about Hispanic countries. It has become a well-known event in the Department of Modern Languages and Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Munoz-Castiblanco has provided a great opportunity for undergraduate students, faculty and staff, as well as the community at large. With a smile on his face, Munoz-Castiblanco has organized La tertulia for years as a volunteer.