Walking into my freshman year of college at the University of Montana, I was set on what I wanted to do. I was going to be a Journalist, and like any Journalist, I had the absolutely crazy dream of working for National Geographic or a magazine of that extent. I wanted to impact people, inspire them, and challenge myself to see and appreciate a new kind of culture, or lifestyle. It wasn’t as simple as impacting people, I wanted to change the world. I had the privilege of growing up in a household where my dreams (no matter how crazy) were supported.
This semester, I came back to UM overly excited because I was taking more hands on Journalism classes. These courses were Beginning Visual Journalism and Elements of News Writing. A few weeks in, I began to realize that the work I was doing brought me little to no pleasure. It was tedious. Now, most college students complain about work, but shouldn’t we pursue something that makes us excited? Shouldn’t I read over an article or look at a picture and feel pride in my work?
Writing is a passion, it’s a beautiful art because it’s a rare form of self-expression. With Journalism, there is a bump that certain people (including myself) cannot climb over. Bias, removing yourself from the situation and seeing a story through the audience. For me, this was an inconceivable thought. I have always been taught to proudly express my opinion. Journalism is a fantastic career path, but I wanted to follow something that I knew in my heart I could do right. After a few weeks, a part of me knew that I wasn’t going to be a Journalist the correct way. This dream of mine was going to be put on the shelf, but what was I going to do then?
The moment happened in my Writing 101 class. We were describing what brings us joy and it was then that I realized what I loved. Humans are truly beautiful. I love connecting with others, making people happy, inspiring, them, showing them love, and educating them. My heart began to feel very heavy and I knew in that instance what I was meant to do. I was meant to be a teacher. I was meant to impact lives, educate my community, and help them grow into who they wish to become. There are so many amazing aspects to the world that people don’t see. I know in my heart that I was meant to explore the endless amount of opportunities and show them to people.
I called my parents after class and told them, I was emotional, but I was so happy. Thankfully, my parents simply said that they knew I was meant to be a teacher. I met with an advisor and currently, I am working on changing my major to follow my next dream.
My advice to anyone: follow your dream, surround yourself with people who will support you every step of the way. Change is okay. Life is too short to follow something that you know isn’t right for you. If something is meant to be, it will happen. In the end, life has a way of working itself out.
