Future. Scary word, right? Don’t lie, you cringed a little thinking about it. It’s hard to grasp the responsibilities that will slowly be added to our already hectic teenage lives. And if we’re going to end up with actual careers someday, we have to start preparing for them. We all know this, but we don’t realize how quickly we have to start preparing. What if we don’t know what we want to do in the future? What if what we want to do doesn’t produce a reliable income?
As seniors, most of us have some kind of idea of what path we want to take. Whether our future career paths are driven by the benefits involved, how much money there is to be earned, the atmosphere with which to be surrounded, or the passion that makes our blood pump rigorously, we pretty much all need to be working human beings in the real life world soon enough. If you still really aren’t sure where your path lies, maybe looking at other students’ decisions could help you determine what best fits for you.
Drama student Senior Casey Johnson already knows exactly what she wants to do when she’s older and feels confident in her capacity to make this dream a reality. Johnson has been involved in the theatre community for an impressive fifteen years. Driven by passion, Johnson is looking for a career that has anything to do with the theatre. She has been surrounded by theatrical souls for many years and can’t imagine life without it.
“I understand that I could be a starving artist, but that’s completely okay with me, because as long as I am happy I know that what I’m doing is right,” she explained. “I’m extremely passionate about theatre so whether I end up a performer, teacher, theatre manager or a director I’ll be satisfied. The people in this community are outstanding, wholesome, full of passion, kind, and honest. They’re people that keep my life exciting and positive. I want to be around it forever,” Johnson concluded with a bright smile. Johnson encourages people to follow their passions over anything. She stated that she is “…a firm believer in the importance of doing something that you love, regardless of the salary. I find myself more excited and motivated knowing that I’ll be doing what I truly love.”
Being around animals is the burning passion inside of Senior Stephanie Green. Her natural go-to atmosphere is the ranch, where she can be surrounded by animals, her idea of bliss. She first realized this when she began riding horses in second grade. Green truly knows that she wants to be involved with animals as a career, and she figured it out early on: “The first time I rode I felt like I was flying, I thought to myself ‘I could do this for the rest of my life’ and I was eager to do it again.” Currently, Green volunteers at a local ranch, where she gives riding lessons, organizes birthday parties and is involved with camps that are held there.
“I want to be a part of organizations that help and rescue animals. I honestly think I care about animals more than people. It’s my passion and I hope to have my own ranch one day, as well,” explained Green. She also feels that the idea of having a career that fills one’s passions is extremely important and can make a person feel truly enlightened. “I think that many people stress about the fact that their ideal career doesn’t bring in enough money, which leads them to trying to change their college major or find something that can earn them more money, but for me I just want to focus on my passion and do big things with it and that’s mainly why I feel most driven by this career choice.”
Senior Chris Chavvaria wants to see the world and help people. Influenced by two uncles who are attorneys, he has chosen the same career path. But rather than go into private law like his uncles, he specifically wants to be an attorney for the Navy. Chavvaria said, “I like the idea that I can travel and the benefits that go along with this job. It will really set me up for the future.”
We are all going to have to work to survive in the world. Whatever we end up doing, we want to feel gratified, which can be intimidating and often raises the question: What if I don’t make it? What’s more important is whether you are willing to take the chance.
John Middleton • Mar 25, 2015 at 1:38 pm
UCHS needs an internship coordinator (hint, hint). 🙂