Everyone remembers the constant question as they grew taller and older: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

I know mine changed each year, and it typically depended on whatever was in the catalog that year. I switched from teacher to restaurant owner, to doctor, to artist, to lawyer, and about anything else you can name. I played house with my baby dolls and knew that I always wanted babies when I was older, but what would I do for as a career?

People say, "Oh, your major will change fifty times before you figure out what you want to do." And that may be true. No one can truly know where they will end up. When I picture my life in a few years, it's blank. There are things that I hope will be there, but uncertainty clouds my vision of the future.

There is one thing that has always been in my heart, and that I know will always bring me happiness. Writing. Being a writer is not something I want to be, it's who I am. Ever since I was little, I wrote in journals and was creating stories. It is what makes me happy and I never thought that I would be able to write and touch others with what I had to say.

I decided long ago that whether or not I made it as a writer, that I will continue to write for myself. In times of doubt, not sure if I can make my dream come true, I go back and read encouraging comments from others.

I happened to be looking in my old yearbooks for something, and I stumbled upon messages from my classmates. Many said that they could not wait to read my first book one day, and it brought tears to my eyes.

If my friends and peers believed in me, then I need to believe in myself. I am the happiest when I am writing. It could be simply writing in my journal and ranting about a horrible day, but I always feel better after I finish the entry.

College kids and high school students would be rich if they had a dollar for each time they were asked what their major is or would be. The question of "What do you want to be when you grow up," changed to "What are you majoring in?"

Most of the time, the follow up question is "What do you want to do with that?" When I respond that I am an English writing major, I get a mix of reactions. Some send me looks of pity and some cringe. It's no secret that people who love to read and write are a rare breed. My parents, who are math and science people, often wonder how they ended up with a child who got excited for English class.

Most likely after I say I'm an English major, I get asked if I want to teach. At one time, I would cock my head to the side and respond with a "maybe." However, I was never dead set on becoming a teacher, and once I took my first teaching class, my heart was not in it. So, I knew that option was off the list.

Many people wonder how I will ever make money as an English major. Being a writer, especially one that is just starting, it is very difficult to make money right off the bat. Some are extremely lucky, while others it takes a while before they can be successful. The truth is though, while I am waiting for my writing to be published or to even get noticed, I know I can find a job that will accept me.

Employers want people who can write and read. No one wants to look stupid on paper, and it's embarrassing when things are misspelled or grammatically incorrect. A prospective customer may turn their nose up because a business did not take the time to make sure their advertisement was presentable.

Even the American Bar Association admitted that students who attend law school with a degree in English are highly valued.

So, when people look down on me because I'm majoring in English, I inwardly laugh. I remember all the times peers have asked me to read over their papers just to make sure it made sense or didn't sound stupid.

People say that literature and the written word are dying, but then why do we run to our word savvy friends to double check anything with a sentence?

It's a hidden superpower, and trust me, you want an English major in your corner. It's not a dead major, it's one of the ones that keeps this world thriving.

My minors may change, and maybe I'll add a double major, but I don't see me changing from a degree in English. Like I said, writing has always been a part of me, and I never plan on changing that.