The first thing they ask you before you apply to college is "What do you want to major in?" My answer was Business at the time. Not because I had an interest in calculating a company's bills or doing someone's taxes, but because I felt like it would make people I care about proud. I felt like I had chosen a pathway to $60,000 a year or more to make everyone else happy and avoid the "Well, they don't make enough money" statement.

Now, my major is elementary education. Big difference, right? Between sitting at a desk in an office of my own, at a big company with a pant suit and sophisticated glasses on and wiping snotty noses and taking home weekend papers that need to be graded, along with forking out my personal money for classroom needs. This means that work won't only be when I'm "on the clock". This means late days staying after for tutoring, parent/teacher conferences, and cleaning up. This means being at home and grading papers that were turned in a week ago, planning for upcoming class assignments, all while trying to be a (hopefully one day) wife and mom.

While I'm sure there is much more that comes with being a teacher, I think I have gotten my point across. It will not be easy, and it's going to take up a lot of time. My reason for wanting to be a teacher is simply this: I want to take the time and patience to help kids who have a hard time learning and comprehending. I want to make an impact on the children I teach, not just have them for one year and on to the next class. So no, I don't want to be a lawyer, or a financial analyst, or a market researcher, or a doctor, or a vet. I want to be a teacher that might make $40,000 a year, if I get that great of an offer. In other words, I don't want this because of the pay. I want to make such a difference that when they grow up and walk across stage at graduation, they still remember their 4th or 5th grade teacher who helped them with their multiplication tables and cursive.