Ever since I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was be a photographer. I wanted to work with fashion magazines and for National Geographic. I wanted to create pictures that meant something and made an impact on the people looking at them. I started my own photo business and I worked hard at making myself into the into the photographer I am today. Looking at it now I know that might not be a plausible dream but it was a dream none the less.

Going into this year, I had planned to major in journalism and to minor in visual art. This would not only let me go after my main goal of being a journalist, but would also help me refine my skills and to become a great photographer. I thought that would excel both in the realm of journalism and in the realm of photography.

Now that I'm almost done with my first semester here, I will admit that I feel lost. I'm not very confident in my career path and after taking college photography, I don't have the same passion for it as I used to. Taking photos has become a strenuous need and not a want. I don't feel confident in the subject of my photography and I do not feel like I am good enough. Before coming here I was always told that I was good enough but now I feel as though I've never actually been good enough.

The worst part about all of it is that I am struggling to see my own talent. I know I am good enough to make it in the world and yet I have never felt more small. Throughout the semester, I've been told that I'm too "cliché" and that my photos aren't good enough. I know these are supposed to be critiques, but there are other ways to present information so I can learn from it. My confidence has smashed and while I'm working to fix it, I know that after this semester I will be taking a break from taking photos. I need time for myself and to figure out what I want to do.

So, to the teacher who killed my passion... I don't have much to say to you. I hope you realize that words hurt and even though I tried to fit to what you wanted, it didn't help me. I hope you see the effect it has on students like me who went in to college thinking they knew what they wanted but now they come out more confused than ever. I may not know what I want to do but I know that I will be retiring what once was a passion. I hope you realize what your words mean to kids like me and how I now have to search for a new passion in life.