On the first day of kindergarten, every kid would be asked the same thing, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" That's where the problem starts. From an extremely young age, kids are pressured into knowing what they want to do with their life. It's always the question that describes you best when you're in school. But what if you don't really know?

I had quite the spread of job possibilities as a kid. In kindergarten, I wanted to be a mom just like every other five-year-old. As I got into the upper grades of elementary school, I morphed my career path into a veterinarian to suit my heart for animals. Middle school unearthed my passion for writing and making my voice heard. In high school, I discovered my love for photography.

Going through school, I always had the thought in the back of my mind that one day I would have to decide. I would stand once again and have to answer that age-old question. As a high school senior, I felt the crushing pressure of choosing a career path and beginning life in the real world. Graduation inched closer and closer and I knew that I needed to make a decision. This wasn't something I could poll my friends about or Google search for an answer. I had to find a field that would make me happy.

College was eye-opening because for the first time in forever, I didn't have to have a straight answer right away. Inquiries about my career transformed into questions about my degree and all of the possibilities that could stem from it. I had the freedom to follow through with the path I had picked from the beginning and the freedom to switch gears and pursue something different. It was a weight lifted off of my shoulders that I had four years to really narrow down what I wanted to be. I had a little bit more growing up to do.

We need to stop pressuring youth to narrow down a career before they have driven a car. There are crucial years of growth and shifts in viewpoint that form who you are as a person. Forcing a rash decision just for the sake of having a plan is absurd. We need to take a step back and let these kids find their passion. Whether it is an immediate match or it takes some time, jumping into a field that you truly love and enjoy is worth it. We need to cut back the career pressure. It all starts in kindergarten.