Ever since I could remember, I was set on what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, I took early childhood development classes for three years. In college, my major is Early Childhood Education, and I'm starting my last year in my undergrad.

Which means... grad school is coming up. I have to start applying soon.

I have given this a lot of thought. I've heard from so many people about the good and bad of different careers. Special education is great, but it's one of the most stressful jobs you could have, for unfortunate reasons. School administration requires a ton of great and mastered communication skills, but don't all jobs need that?

I have a year left to get most of my crap together for graduate school, and I still don't know what I want to pick to master in yet. All I know is that I want something to do with higher education.

Yes, I said it. College students... annoying but negotiable and somewhat aware and responsible of what they need to do and what they are doing.

If you told me just two years before this that I should try going for higher education, I'd laugh straight in your face and say "Hell no!" I'm not kidding. But now, I can't see myself doing anything else, besides my lifelong passion for the early childhood field.

I can either go towards the instructional side, which is being a professor for a subject of my choosing. Or, I can steer towards the administrative side, which deals with programs on a college campus.

The reason behind my interest in higher education was from working through the Campus Activities office at Rowan, located in the Student Center. I worked, and still currently work, for a late-night program that provides events and activities for all Rowan students to do on the weekends.

And I love it.

I fell in love with higher education through my job, and it makes me want more. I want to apply for a grad assistant job during my masters. I want more and more experience as I reach my goals.

Higher education is such a great field to go into because you don't know who you're encountering. As a preschool teacher, sure, I could possibly touch every child's heart in the room and affect them, but they are too young to know. As a professor or a program director, I would talk to adults every day. I would talk to a college student going through something and hearing his or her story.

I could change their day, their week, their month, or their year on a positive note because I was there for them, and I got them through an obstacle in their life. Just from something as simple as smiling, I have the possibility to make everything better for them.

And that makes me happy. This is why I love higher education.

Sure, the public speaking skills would improve over time, as well as content and knowledge with lots of practice within the field. I am totally terrified, but I am so willing to make this other part of my life come true.

Go into higher education; you won't go back.