While Laura always knew that she wanted to be a biologist, working outside in nature, she didn’t necessarily know what that would look like until she started her graduate work at McMaster.

“The program set me on the right career path to do the kind of applied conservation related biology that I wanted to be in,” she says. “So I never had a master plan, I just knew that I wanted to be a biologist and knew that there might be side roads that would eventually get me there.”

After a brief stint working in small town Quebec to enhance her French skills, Laura has developed a career in wildlife toxicology that allows her to blend her skills with her interests on a daily basis.

In this first episode of season 3 of Unconventional, Laura shares the story of how a career journey can take roads less travelled and still take you to where you want to be.

Sometimes when we think we have it all planned out, we suddenly come to the realization that there is good in the unexpected. And that is exactly what these Mac grads can attest to! MacCast: Unconventional, our new podcast series which aims to highlight how McMaster graduates paved their way into the world, and found themselves in their current positions.

Sometimes when we think we have it all planned out, we suddenly come to the realization that there is good in the unexpected. And that is exactly what these Mac grads can attest to! MacCast: Unconventional, our new podcast series which aims to highlight how McMaster graduates paved their way into the world, and found themselves in their current positions.

Sometimes when we think we have it all planned out, we suddenly come to the realization that there is good in the unexpected. And that is exactly what these Mac grads can attest to! MacCast: Unconventional, our new podcast series which aims to highlight how McMaster graduates paved their way into the world, and found themselves in their current positions.

In this episode of Unconventional, Siobhan tells the story of how she found a love for understanding herself and the people around as an undergrad at Mac and turned it into a meaningful career as a freelance writer, blogger for the Huffington Post, author, motivational speaker, a community activist, and a proud mother-of-three. Her first book, The Treasure You Seek, weaves her own wisdoms and observations together with famous tales of failure, growth, and change to remind readers that we have all we need to be the change we wish to see.

Dilshan has deeply seeded love for art, poetry, and music, which led him to participate in student clubs that used art to engage vulnerable populations and foster wellness. But it wasn’t until his fourth year that Dilshan discovered the Health Science Education program, sparking new interests that led to a leap of faith that would put him on a career path he never dreamed of. Now, a medical student at U of T, Dilshan has also kept his art going and has published two books of poetry, continues to write music, and has a podcast of his own, Shoot the Ship.

In this episode of the Mac Alumni podcast Unconventional, Dilshan describes how he managed to carve out a successful a career journey that to him often felt like a black box. While it may not have been linked to an overall masterplan, he’s managed to grow a career that will combine his dedication to medicine, wellness, and art.

When Shari tells people she is a veterinarian with a computer engineering degree, she sometimes gets funny looks and a few raised eyebrows. But for her, the seemingly odd educational pairing has helped her cultivate a career in what she calls smart agriculture. After taking some incredible turns along the journey, Shari is proud to be the owner of CATTLEytics, a company focused on providing dairy and feedlot clients with the hardware and software they need to manage their business.

In this episode of our Unconventional podcast series, Shari tells the story about how she found herself leaving a decade-long career in software development to start making choices that were focused on what she wanted and not what every expected her to do.

A degree in Life Sciences often conjures images of a career in health care, or maybe working in a laboratory, or even working in health policy development – not necessarily a career in the beauty industry. For Belicia, making the move away from what she thought she wanted was about making a choice that would blend her passion for fashion and skin care with the knowledge she gained from her time at Mac. Ultimately, taking that leap would put her on the path towards a dream career in PR that seeks to amplify storytelling through media and influencer relations.

In this first episode of season 2 of Unconventional, Belicia talks about how the five-year plan she came up with as a teenager adapted and changed while she was in University. And rather than panicking, she learned to roll with it, follow her heart, and, with a little creativity, carve out a career path that was uniquely hers.

As one of a handful of black billionaires around the world, it’s safe to say that Michael Lee-Chin has had a successful career. But the path from landscaper to world renowned business leader has been far from straightforward.

Having arrived in Hamilton from Jamaica to attend McMaster in 1970, he found himself feeling a bit disorientated – things were very different from the life he had been living in a small rural community on the Caribbean island. But it was the nurturing and supportive environment McMaster provided that helped him strengthen his confidence and achieve his goals. It’s an experience he is grateful to have had and one he speaks of fondly.

In this episode of Unconventional, Michael discusses his purpose-driven approach to cultivating success and reflects on the ups and downs of an amazing, and often humbling, career journey.

Like many students when they start university, Lavan had no clear plan for his future and was there because he felt it was expected of him. But it was going to university that helped him discover a sense of curiosity and by the end of his fourth year he knew he had developed three broad interests: how history influences current events; an interest regarding refugee and war stories; and third, writing. Figuring out how to bring all three together would take a little while. A unique volunteering experience led him to a Master’s in International Development and eventually, to working with the UN in Africa.

This episode features Lavan’s unique and interesting journey from not knowing what to do with his life to finding something completely fulfilling.