Academic success story

Adam Labecki (Pearce photo)

There were no obstacles to step over when Adam Labecki crossed the stage of the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium to accept his degree on Saturday. For once, it was an obstacle-free journey.

He was an outcast in junior high school, dubbed ÒBeethoven” for his long hair and eccentricities. High school wasnÕt fun either and he dropped out Ñ ÒI just couldnÕt stand to be there,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders.

But he yearned to learn. Not old enough or away from high school long enough to be a considered a mature student, Labecki made a special appeal to be let in. A committee was convened and Labecki was admitted to the University of KingÕs College.

The way Labecki figures it, if he was in charge, he wouldnÕt have let a kid like him in and appreciates the chance he was given. ÒMy goodness Ñ the arrogance,” he says, a rueful smile pulling at his lips. ÒLetÕs just say I had to learn discipline. I had to rein in my creativity in a constructive way.”

He finished his first degree, a BA majoring in Philosophy and Contemporary Studies, in 2001. He should have been studying Classics, he says, having discovered an affinity for the ancient philosophers, but the language requirement kept him away. So for a year-and-a-half, he buckled down and learned Latin and Greek before embarking on the masterÕs degree in 2004.

ÒIt took me awhile to find out where I wanted to be,” he says. ÒBut at Dalhousie, I found what I wanted to study and the people I need to work withÉ I was encouraged very strongly through the whole process.”