Throughout my short life, I have changed the idea of my future profession many times. When I was little I wanted to be a doctor. But not just a doctor, I also wanted to be a singer. Yup. That's right I wanted to be a singing doctor. Why? I don't think I'll ever actually know.
Moving into elementary school and middle school, I realized being a singing doctor isn't really a thing. So I decided that just being a doctor would be okay. I also started to have a reason for why I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to help people. I wanted to change lives and save lives. However, in my freshmen year of high school, I realized I had a slight phobia to blood. Now don't get me wrong, I can handle a little blood, but not the amount I would see if I became a doctor. I also had a brief period where I wanted to be a meteorologist, why you ask? I have no clue.
Bringing us into high school: I think I changed my mind almost one hundred times trying to pick a career that I wanted to pursue. I remember being extremely involved in the arts and wanting to go to school for performing arts. But then reality hit me and I realized I wasn't that good. Not to say I am not an amazing performer (because I am), but I realized I wouldn't be able to make a career out of it. So I took time and re-evaluated what I was good at and what I enjoyed. Eventually settling on something in science.
My first career path I wanted to start on was geology. I had taken earth science my sophomore year and, contrary to everyone else, I really enjoyed it. I thought a career as a geologist would be fun or maybe even an archaeologist but then I realized I would basically be sitting looking at rocks all day and my interest in that career slowly faded away.
The next year, my junior year, I took chemistry and fell in love with the subject. Mostly because the teacher was amazing and taught me the subject so well. I decided halfway through the school year that since I was becoming so skilled at chemistry I would go to college to become a pharmacist. Now, during my junior year, I went through the process of applying to an advanced science program known as New Visions Scientific Research and World Health (SRWH). While applying and getting accepted into this exclusive program that only takes about sixteen students a year, I realized pharmacy/chemistry wouldn't really be for me, and not just because I got a 76 on the chemistry regents exam, but because biology seemed to be more intriguing and something more adaptable.
While in the SRWH program, I became introduced to various different scientists and professionals in different fields of study. They ranged from doctors of public health to lawyers fighting for human rights all the way to graduate students doing work with the peace core in various parts of the world. I fell in love with the program and the idea of public health. But I knew going into public health directly wouldn't be satisfying for me. So when it came to applying to colleges I applied as a biology major and went into my freshman year as such.
During my first semester as a biology major, I did average. This was the first time in my life that I had ever been average. It scared me and caused me to re-evaluate what I wanted to do. For the longest time I had just been telling people that I'm majoring in biology so one day I can do research on rare and infectious diseases. However looking at it realistically that would take me almost twelve years before I would be able to start my own research and not have to work under another scientist.
So I decided to switch my major. I remember the exact moment I decided on switching my major to Globalization Studies. I was on my way home from the mall and called my best friend and told her how unhappy I was in my major. So being the good friend that she is, she pulled up the list of majors here at UAlbany and started to read the ones out loud that she thought would interest me. When she described the Globalization Studies program, I was hooked! It was such a broad program that I could really shape in any way to take me anywhere. So I made an appointment with my advisor and switched my major and was all set for my spring semester.
It was at that moment that I decided I wanted to go to law school, and no, it wasn't because I also happened to watch Legally Blonde and How To Get Away With Murder that day. I realized it would be the right move for me. If I do actually go to law school I want to focus on either international, human rights or health law. It all comes back to what I decided in middle school made being a doctor so appealing. I want to help people. I want to make people feel safe and be safe, and if I get to travel along with the job that might not be so bad.
