Hi Mom and Dad! It’s me — the one who used to ask you all kinds of questions, like why do bubbles pop, how does snow get made, and how did they build the CN tower?! Well, guess what? I’m all grown up now, and this may come as no surprise, but I’m a structural engineer !

I’m here from the future, to thank you for always encouraging me, for feeding my imagination, and most of all, for making my educational and career goals possible. I really appreciate it!

I’ve completed my bachelor’s at McGill University, and then, after working for a few years, I did my masters in engineering leadership at the University of British Columbia. I’ve designed the coolest bridges and buildings. Technology has come so far. All of the windows on our new buildings are coated with a polymer that absorbs the energy from the sun and sends it through tiny wires invisible to the human eye. These solar panel windows generate enough electricity to heat and cool the building, and run the computers inside. Not bad, right?

Thanks to the money you saved in my RESP, I was able to pay for my undergrad tuition entirely. You may not believe it now, but my four years of tuition cost $70,000. I know this wasn’t always easy for you! And later, when I needed the money to pursue my masters, there was still money left in the RESP (since it kept growing)! That topped up the savings from my job, so I could afford the additional $40,000 in tuition for my masters. Now that I’m expecting my own little one, it’s such a relief to move forward without the burden of debt. 

Education is more important today than ever before, and it really pays off. I know that now. My masters helped me land a job consulting for the federal government. I am working on national standards that will ensure all buildings absorb more carbon than they emit by 2050. With this great job comes a great salary, which has allowed me to afford a down payment on a condo downtown.

Education has been hugely important for my social circle, too. I have friends who work in artificial intelligence, health technology, green energy, and food science. These are all very relevant fields now, and they’re all in demand.

My friends have all done at least two training programs, and they’ve all been able to access their RESPs to pay for them. Some have used their RESPs to take courses in the US and to take online coding courses. I even have a friend who used her RESP to study coral reefs off the coast of East Africa. One could say that the matching government grants helped her go far! These days, education doesn’t look like just four years in university for all. Many of us took out the RESP money when we needed it, over the course of many years. And the greatest thing? The money that remained continued to grow in between courses.

So I wanted to take the time to say a heartfelt thank you. Maybe you didn’t think I’d be sitting down with the Ministry of Climate Resilient Infrastructure to talk about nanotechnology materials. Maybe you didn’t even think we’d have such a ministry. But you had the foresight to know that education would matter. And that education would become more specialized, and more expensive, over the years. I’m glad you invested in my dreams when you did. I know I am where I am because of you.

Now that we’re about to welcome our first child, we’re going to follow your lead and set up our own RESP for our daughter to help secure her future. Turns out parents do know best!

For a digital future, why not go with a digital-first RESP company? CST Spark is set up so you can securely access the information you need any time, anywhere, in an intuitive and easy format. That means no setting up appointments and no waiting in line. If you have questions, you’re connected to a live representative either online or over the phone. At CST Spark, RESPs are our passion. Find out how we can help you prepare your loved ones for their bright futures by reaching out today.