Goli Khalafi - MA in Conflict Analysis and Management (MACAM)

I was working as a legal assistant after getting an arts degree at the University of British Columbia with a major in sociology. My employer believed I could do more with my social skills than sit in an office working 12 hours a day. He’d heard about RRU’s reputation and encouraged me to explore the options, so I logged online, went to an orientation session and here I am.

Conflict is very alive in my community in North Vancouver. My parents are from Iran and we moved to Canada when I was 14. There is a cultural clash between the generations as well as between the host society and the new immigrant community. The interaction can be difficult at times.

I was working as a legal assistant after getting a Sociology degree at the University of British Columbia. My employer believed I could do more with my skills. He’d heard about Royal Roads’ reputation and encouraged me to explore the options. So I found RRU online, went to an orientation session, and here I am.

Conflict is very alive in my community in North Vancouver. My parents are from Iran and we moved to Canada when I was 14. Even here, we face conflict from the various generations of Iranian immigrants. The interaction can be difficult at times.

Career-wise, I would love to work with youth, in particular Iranian youth. I see my role as a facilitator in helping resolve parent-child conflict as well as helping my community develop networks and strengthen bonds with other Canadians.

My first RRU residency was challenging. I was the youngest of all the learners, and unlike everyone else I had no practical experience in facilitation and meditation. But we quickly became a community and it was very empowering to be embraced and accepted.

The first thing I noticed was that everyone at RRU was smiling. Then I realized that everybody wants to be here. It’s wasn’t because of their parents, or the desire for another degree on the wall. They were here for personal development.

My instructors were very engaging, open and approachable. I’m an introvert, so it was encouraging to have someone to go to at the end of the day for feedback. They showed me that my personal background matters and that I have a great deal to contribute to my community and the other learners at RRU. In fact, I even count some of my classmates as mentors.

I did not feel that my Bachelor’s degree was suitable for what I wanted to do. Getting my master’s degree was significant, but the bigger approach is that you learn to become a better person. At big universities the emphasis is on passing exams. At RRU you’re constantly asked to analyze and explain the purpose of your work. ‘What are you doing?’, ‘Why are you doing it?’, ‘And for whom?’

The natural environment at RRU is extremely calming. It triggers thought, provokes feelings and is a great place for reflection and study. That’s especially important to me because in Vancouver I work two jobs while also keeping up with the course load. Coming here for the residencies is almost like a vacation.

Reflecting back on my two years at RRU I have to say that it was by far the best two years of my life. I had a great time, met great people, found life-time friends and experienced something outrageously fantastic!