By Alex Sangha

In 1990, I graduated from Frank Hurt Secondary in Newton, Surrey, full of dreams bigger than I could put into words. A couple of years later, after working as a dental claims examiner, I saved enough money to visit my grandfather in Kent, England — not knowing that journey would change everything.

Inspired by the excitement of London, I decided to stay and pursue higher education. I was accepted into two programs: Journalism at City University and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Goldsmiths College of the University of London. Dreaming big, I dared to apply to study politics at Oxford University.

Oxford said no.

The rejection letter was polite but devastating: my academic record was “rather weak in relation to other applicants.” It stung in ways I couldn’t explain. I had imagined Oxford as a ticket to a different life — perhaps one spent writing for The Guardian on Fleet Street, making my mark on the world.

Instead, life knocked me sideways. Just weeks before school started, the overwhelming stress of being in a new country, alone, and grappling with my sexuality led to a nervous breakdown. My mother flew to England to bring me home.

At 20 years old, I thought my life was over.

But looking back, that heartbreak was the beginning of a life far richer than I could have imagined.

Back home, I picked myself up. I completed an Associate of Arts at Douglas College, then transferred to UBC where I earned a Bachelor of Social Work with First Class Standing. I started my career as a social worker with the Ministry of Children and Family Development — a role that showed me the profound difference one person can make in another’s life.

Still, the hunger to learn burned inside me. I decided to apply to graduate school once more — but this time, not to Oxford. I set my sights on the London School of Economics (LSE), one of the world’s top institutions. Receiving my acceptance letter — along with a partial scholarship — remains one of the proudest moments of my life. It felt like the universe’s way of saying: keep going.

I returned to Canada with a renewed sense of purpose. I worked in social services, founded Sher Vancouver — a nonprofit for LGBTQ+ South Asians and their allies — and pursued a Master of Social Work at Dalhousie University. Juggling school, work, and life wasn’t easy, but I graduated with an A average, proving to myself that resilience matters more than perfection.

Today, I am a Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW) and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in private practice in North Delta. I’m also an award-winning documentary film producer and Co-Founder of the Sundar Prize Film Festival, where we celebrate powerful stories that inspire change.

Sometimes, I wonder: what if Oxford had said yes? Would I be sitting at a London café, typing out articles for a newspaper? Would I have lived a completely different life?

Maybe. But I wouldn’t trade the life I have now for anything.

I have been blessed to support vulnerable communities, help people heal, and use my voice to advocate for those who often go unheard. I’ve seen firsthand that true success isn’t about prestige. It’s about impact. It’s about how much love, courage, and hope you pour into the world around you.

Oxford’s rejection was not my failure — it was my redirection. It was life gently steering me toward the work I was born to do.

In time, I was also accepted into other prestigious programs: York University (with a full scholarship for their MSW), the University of Toronto’s MSW program, and Queen’s University’s Master of Public Administration. Each acceptance reminded me that sometimes when one door closes, countless others quietly open.

To anyone facing rejection today: take heart. It might just be the universe rerouting you to something greater than you dared to dream. Trust the detours. Trust yourself.

Looking back, I’m not bitter. I’m grateful. I didn’t go to Oxford — but I found my calling, my community, and my joy.

And in the end, that’s the life I was meant to live.

Thank you — and God bless.