Don’t rush it: How Jason balanced business, family, and online studies on his path to law school

For many, the thought of returning to university later in life is daunting. But for Jason, a Bachelor of Arts student, taking that leap at age 37 was the first step toward a lifelong dream. This September, at 43 years old, he will walk into law school.

Jason’s path was not a straight line. Over six and a half years of online study, he balanced running his own business, volunteering in his community, and raising a family. Through the flexibility of TRU Open Learning, he was able to chip away at his degree while navigating daily life.

He started his studies in 2019, and major life events happened alongside his education. He raised two teenagers to adulthood, walked his daughter down the aisle, and navigated the loss of his mother. By spring 2026, his steady progress resulted in acceptance letters from both UVic Law and TRU Law.

Looking back, Jason shares that the hardest part of the entire process was making the decision to begin.

Don’t be afraid. Too many people simply don’t start working towards their goals out of fear. People are scared it will be hard, scared they will not have the time, or scared they will fail. The problem is, if you don’t start, you’ll never do it. The hardest part is getting going.

His advice to anyone hesitating to take that first step is to avoid rushing. He started because he thought about the future and did not want to look back with regret. Without the flexibility of online education, Jason notes that his goals might not have been reachable. Today, those goals are within his grasp.