Picking a major wasn't always a clear track for me and I think a large portion of people feel the same way. When I was a freshman in high school I wanted to be a film major-- that lasted for a while. Then I wanted to be a psychologist and that lasted for a while, then I switched back to wanting to be a film major, then I decided I wanted to be an art therapist and that was the set idea heading into getting a college education.

One of the main reasons I wanted to be an art therapist was that it was a lot more doable than a film major. I'm a big believer in "follow your dreams!" but I knew I didn't have the experience or knowledge to pursue a degree in film...Now, if I could major in "Hollywood Actresses" I would excel. But anyways, another big reason I felt like that career path was right for me was because of how helpful art therapy has been and continues to be for me personally. Lastly, I knew I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives.

I got accepted into Lesley University for art therapy and unfortunately, it did not work out financially. I was pretty crushed. I ended up having to go to RIC with a psychology major, which I was ok with but I took it as a sign that I should pursue a different path.

I changed my major to mass media communications because that's the only other thing I felt like I could be good at. I was extremely passionate about it for the past year and a half but it never felt right. I knew I was a good writer, I knew I would be good at what I wanted to do, but I was missing something in my heart.

Once I got a job working so closely with kids, the gap that I felt in my heart started to close. To know that I was making even the smallest difference in a kids life made me so happy. I started thinking, and thinking, and thinking. I thought a lot about my stays in hospitals and how much of a difference all different kinds of therapists made in my life and how they all gave me the same compliment "you're so good at therapy." My thoughts around working in a psychiatric hospital with children or teenagers never left my mind and when someone asked me my dream job I said, "Oh, definitely working in a hospital." So why wasn't I pursuing that?

About a month ago, I switched my major to human services with a concentration in mental health work. I finally feel like this is what I'm supposed to do. I feel like I was put here to help. I feel like I am meant to make a difference in this particular way.

I changed my major again because I knew that without this in my life, that piece of my heart would be missing forever.