There was a time not too long ago that I thought I was on my true path, heading towards graduation thinking that I would be halfway to my goal of becoming an archaeologist someday. That is, until I fell upon one of the best things my college had to offer. I mustered enough courage to try out for, and join my campus’ sketch comedy show, and through writing and performing I found out I was funny.

Why would it take me 22 years of my life to actually believe that I was capable of being funny? I was always used to being the “funny” friend, the one you hang out with but you never date. All my life my friends and family called me funny, to the point it sounded like a broken record. I would say my thanks then move on. This experience was different, these were strangers that I had never seen before telling me that I was funny. This changed the entire course of my future.

I love comedy, I’ve loved comedy for as long as I can remember. From silly cartoons to "All That" to old sitcoms and of course, "Saturday Night Live." I grew up laughing in front of a television screen, and would sometimes take that material someplace else. It was usually me and my best friend from elementary school trying to create bits which mimicked "The Amanda Show’s" ‘Hillbilly Moment’ sketch. "Saturday Night Live" opened a lot of thoughts in my mind, like do I really need to do impressions to have a chance to audition? (No, but it probably helps.) Also, how do I even get an audition for Saturday Night Live? (Sacrifice your first-born, most likely). It was all thanks to seeing Jimmy Fallon one night in 1999 that peaked my interest in sketch comedy, which opened the doorway to exploring the likes of Gilda Radner and one of my all-time favorites, Chris Farley.

All throughout junior high and high school, I was still on the path of academics, making sure to get good enough grades just to get into a pretty good college. I was never one for going above and beyond, I was more interested in keeping my friends entertained than paying attention in class. Countless times I can assure you I’ve been in trouble for talking and laughing during class, and countless times I can tell you I didn’t really care about getting in trouble for it. Even through college I worked hard to make sure that I would have a degree in the palm of my hand by the end of my five years (victory laps aren’t over-rated yet). But the awakening that my college’s sketch comedy show, "Friday’s Live," gave me changed my future for the better. If you’ve ever sat around and wondered about starting a career in comedy, do it. Go to your local mic night and do some stand-up, join your community’s improve or theater class. Go above and beyond and join a comedy group at your college! I’ve never been so happy to be so ecstatic when it comes to my future now. In January I will be taking classes at Second City Improv in Chicago and I am so ready to start my life.

I love laughing and I love making people laugh, and with this new found knowledge that this is a path I am able to take I finally feel like this is what I was meant to do. Comedy has been nothing but a blessing in my life with all the people it’s brought around me, and I’m so excited to see where it takes me. I’ve always been afraid to take chances, and to put myself out there, but with comedy there seems to be a tingling of hope that resides in the vastness of the unknown that makes it seem so worthwhile.