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Mannat Dhaliwal is sitting at a rooftop table for dinner. PHOTO SUPPLIED: MANNAT DHALIWAL<\/p>\nMannat Dhaliwal grew up thinking her path lay in engineering or even leading a company, but her family and friends thought otherwise \u2014 prompting her to study nursing, where she feels a sense of belonging and stability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dhaliwal grew up in northeast Calgary, where her parents worked long hours, leaving her grandmother to help raise her and her twin sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From a young age, structure defined Dhaliwal\u2019s life. <\/p>\n
Her parents put her in activities such as Kumon, swimming, skating, tennis, basketball, and dance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her mother wanted her daughters to be well-rounded, competitive, and successful, and overall experience everything she didn\u2019t get growing up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just always busy,\u201d Dhaliwal said. \u201cIt was mostly just like a typical immigrant household of, like, you need to get really good grades.\u201d<\/p>\n
While her sister was quiet and reserved, Dhaliwal was outgoing and drawn to creative outlets, including theatre and art. She even showed strong ability in science and math.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In high school, she considered becoming an engineer, a doctor, or even running her own company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to be a teacher, to be a doctor, to be a vet, to be a computer scientist, to being an\u00a0engineer,\u201d said Dhaliwal.<\/p>\n
New school, new mindset<\/p>\n
Leadership and ambition appealed to her, but her path shifted when she moved from a private charter school to a public school.<\/p>\n
The transition brought her a new sense of freedom and distraction. Without the close supervision she had grown used to, Dhaliwal began skipping classes and spending time with the wrong crowd. <\/p>\n
The discipline that had been drilled into her during childhood began to fade.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took a little bit too much of an advantage of that,\u201d she said. \u201cMy grades started to plummet because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
But while things were certainly more challenging, she does not fully regret that period in her life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mannat Dhaliwal is sitting at a rooftop table for dinner. PHOTO SUPPLIED: MANNAT DHALIWAL<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where I made the most memories and like I had the most fun I would say in a sense,\u201d said Dhaliwal.<\/p>\n
Still, as graduation approached, Dhaliwal still didn\u2019t know what she wanted to pursue. She lacked confidence in her academic abilities, making her question every decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike, what if I\u2019m just overreaching for something that I can\u2019t do because I don\u2019t think I\u2019m smart enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passion for the care of others<\/p>\n
Hearing her friends say, \u201cWe see you becoming a nurse,\u201d put things into perspective for Dhaliwal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey could never picture me being a freaking engineer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her experience as a babysitter reinforced that idea. That\u2019s when she realized that she genuinely loved working with children and began to view nursing as a career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved working with kids\u2026 I\u2019m just hanging out with the kids,\u201d said Dhaliwal. \u201cThere\u2019s always going to be a need for nurses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Henna Pannu, a friend of Dhaliwal\u2019s, says nursing suits her personality and natural ability to connect to others.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like nursing is the best suit for her because she fits the position,\u201d Pannu said. \u201cYou can tell this girl\u2019s going to be a nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now enrolled in Mount Royal University\u2019s nursing program, Dhaliwal says the program is quite demanding. <\/p>\n
Students must maintain a minimum grade of 60 per cent to pass, and failing a course twice results in removal from the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Close friend Ramniq Sanghera says Dhaliwal always tries her best.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s always studying and, like, she rewards herself afterwards,\u201d said Sanghera.<\/p>\n
Despite the stress, Dhaliwal says nursing feels right. <\/p>\n
The profession offers stability, financial security and a clear path forward \u2014 something she did not feel when she imagined engineering or leading a business.<\/p>\n
Dhaliwal plans to become a registered nurse, gain experience in high-intensity units such as the ER, NICU or even the ICU, and eventually pursue further education as a nurse practitioner or move to the States to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. <\/p>\n
In the long-term, she hopes to become a professor and teach.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecoming a professor is the end goal. But being a certified registered nurse anesthetist is one of my main goals because you get to do tiny surgeries and stuff like that,\u201d said Dhaliwal.<\/p>\n
As her parents continue to work long hours, she hopes her career will allow her to support and eventually retire them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re still working their asses off every day. Like my dad won\u2019t call in sick ever. Even when he gets sick, like he is actually just slaves himself away where it\u2019s like, OK, I need to lock in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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