Addicted to Knowledge: The Life of a Relentless Learner

Some people chase success. Others chase comfort. I chase knowledge.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been driven by an insatiable curiosity—a constant desire to learn, improve, and master new disciplines. I often joke that I’m a “studyholic,” but in truth, studying has never felt like a burden. It’s my passion, my refuge, and my way of growing through every chapter of life.

My journey began in Sri Lanka, where I studied law at the University of Colombo and was admitted to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. Practicing law there gave me a deep respect for the discipline, reasoning, and human understanding that legal work demands. But my curiosity didn’t stop at national borders. I wanted to see how law functioned across jurisdictions and economies, so I pursued a Master’s in International Economic Law at the University of Warwick School of Law in the United Kingdom.

That experience opened my eyes to the global dimension of justice and trade. I wanted to continue exploring, and soon after, I moved to the United States, where I completed another Master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. Intellectual property fascinated me—it represented the bridge between creativity and commerce, an area where innovation meets protection.

The next milestone was perhaps one of the most challenging: the New York Bar Exam. I studied relentlessly, sometimes for years, balancing work and life with the unending pursuit of that one goal—to become a New York attorney. The process tested not only my intellect but also my perseverance. Eventually, my path led me north to Canada, where I once again took up the books to study for the Canadian Bar Exam, leading to my admission to the Law Society of Ontario.

Still, I was not done. My growing interest in legacy, family wealth, and the deeper meaning of asset preservation inspired me to enroll in a Diploma in Trusts and Estates. After rigorous coursework and professional training, I became an accredited Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) through the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). That qualification has become one of the most fulfilling achievements of my career—it combines law, compassion, and continuity across generations.

And now, having spent years immersed in statutes and legal doctrines, I am studying something completely different—keyboard music. Sitting before a piano, learning chords and scales, I find the same thrill I once felt as a young law student in Colombo. It reminds me that learning is not confined to profession or age; it is a lifelong journey that nourishes the soul as much as the mind.

For me, education is not a phase—it is a way of life. Every new subject opens another window to understanding the world and myself. From Sri Lanka to London, from New York to Toronto, one thing has remained constant: I am, and will always be, addicted to knowledge.

Evelyn V. Sylvester