Going into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I mean this is forever we're talking about. I felt like all of my friends 100% knew what they were going to school for. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life until a couple of months ago. In all honesty, finding a major was the biggest struggle ever for me.
Everyone would say, you need to have your major figured out by the time you go to college. Whenever someone would ask the simple, casual conversation question “What’s your major?” I would hate every second of it because I never knew. I tried a lot of beginning to major classes to test the waters and see what I liked such as Art and Business. I tried out art because I love photography; pictures are my life, but was that what I wanted to do with the rest of my life? I finally realized that photography is more of a hobby rather than a career for me. I tried taking a business class because I had heard that was a good major to graduate with when it comes to actually getting a job. Turns out, I hated business. It just was not the right thing for me.
Summer after my freshman year of college, I went on my third mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I have been to the Dominican Republic three years in a row now for a seven-day mission trip through my church, Hebron Baptist Church. We had a baseball ministry, medical and a VBS. My role on the trip was to teach the Vacation Bible School because I have always loved kids and being a light for them. Since this past summer was my third time going, I was told that I was a veteran and I needed to step up and take control. When my pastor, Rando told me this in the airport of Santo Domingo, I played it off like “I got this,” but in my head I was beyond freaking out.
All my life I have had a fear of public speaking, I get all red and incredibly awkward. On this past trip, for some reason, I wasn’t afraid to step up and be the first to volunteer to teach the kids. It is also a lot harder to teach in the Dominican because none of the kids speak English. We have to teach through a translator because they all speak Spanish.
I genuinely believe that was God calling me to teach and He was the reason that I was not afraid, when I had been terrified of speaking in front of crowds all of my life. I now feel 100 percent confident with my major. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason and I was supposed to struggle with figuring out what I wanted to do so I could really appreciate it when I did figure it out.
Now I am in my senior year of college and in my full year of student teaching. I know I have been called to teach for a reason and could not be more excited for what the future holds!
My advice for incoming freshman: TRUST IN HIM. Do what you love, pray about it and do not freak out if you don't know what you want to do with your life right when you enter college. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
