Let's talk about passion. Someone's passions help define who they are. Passions ignite flames in people's hearts that make them smile and not think about anything else because they are just that passionate about their passions. Without passions, we would all just be a cluster of robots with no uniqueness to us. Passions are a beautiful thing, and it takes love and nurture and support from others to help develop a passion.

So why then do some people insist on bashing your passions like they mean nothing to you?

Writing has been a passion of mine for a long time, so much so that I've decided to go to college to further develop it. I'll be majoring in broadcast reporting while also minoring in creative writing. It sounds cool, sure, but every time someone asks about it and I tell them, they disapprove of it, like it was theirs to disapprove. They tell me that I'm going to struggle, and that I won't make any money, and that I'm going into a dying field, and that I'll just end up unhappy without a job.

To those countless people who don't support my decision, that's okay. But please, just keep your opinions to yourself. I can't tell you how much it hurts my heart to hear people dissing something that I want to do with my life, especially to my face like it's just something small. But it's not small; this is my life, and my life isn't something anyone has a right to criticize besides myself. The public is always going to need a way to know what's going on in the world, and I'm going to be one of their sources. Journalism isn't dying and neither is my drive to achieve my dream.

I especially want to address those nearest and dearest to me who I need supporting me at a time like this that aren't. I know you're concerned about my future - trust me, I am too - but I know what I'm doing. I may not make a lot of money at first, but I'm determined to rise through the ranks and become the best journalist I can be, even if I have to relocate my life to another city.

But even with that being said, it isn't about the money. It was never about the money. It's about happiness, like it's always been. It's about doing what I love. I will not be someone who goes to work every day hating their job just because it makes them a view extra dollars. It's not about that; it's about living a dream. It's about daring to make something out of myself. It's about doing things I never thought I could.

But mainly, it's about passion. It will always be about passion