One of my young memories as a little girl was in third grade. My teacher turned off the lights and told us to put our heads down, clear our heads, and think about what we wanted to be when we grew up. After about five minutes or so, she asked us to stand up one by one and say what we wanted to be when we grew up. As a shy girl, my heart was racing anticipating public speaking - but I did not doubt my answer. With a shaky voice, I stood up and said "I want to be an Artist."

My whole life I enjoyed art and its every form. It came to me easily and brought peace to my mind. However, the older I got, I also ignored it for this same reason. It didn't seem right on paper. I was no Picasso, Whitney Houston, or Ansel Adams - therefore, thought I could never make any sort of living doing something I love.

Flash forward to the start of the college career and I began taking nursing intended courses. The medical field always stood out to me because I felt like it checked all the boxes. Although I enjoyed all of the courses, and at times felt like I understood the material (which could be due to binge-watching of Grey's Anatomy), it never felt like a fit. I tried to dive deeper into my passions and switched to Physical Therapy because of my love for sports. I embraced this with open arms and excitement, but yet again my passions fell short and my grades began to show it. Around this time, I felt extremely lost. I was in a program and scheduled to graduate with my class, but I felt like I was walking through someone else's journey.

I spent countless afternoons researching jobs, writing down things I love, my passions, reading books. I wanted to feel a spark inside myself again. I was tired of going through the motions. That was when I stumbled upon an article that changed my life forever - I read an article about a man living my dream job. He was a travel photographer for Patagonia and worked in the advertisement industry. He said he got his big debut by sending Patagonia his photos every week and one lucky day received feedback from them. My heart soared when I read that an ordinary person could get paid to live my dreams. That was the day that I told myself I wouldn't settle for mediocrity. As hard as this choice was, as a senior in college, I changed my major.

While along the way, I may have received doubt from others, I've never regretted this choice. This simple choice alone opened my heart and has made me feel more like myself than I have in all of my years. I no longer feel embarrassed to downplay my dreams. I feel excited and eager for every step of the journey. My heart has opened to new opportunities, people, and even gifts I didn't know I had. More than anything, I will keep dreaming, and feel a will to not give up.

If you have ever felt like this, I encourage you to reach out to loved ones and express your feelings. You are never alone. Below Included a conversation I had with a good friend of mine who felt similar to me and was brave enough to make a change. This is just one of many stories:

"When I graduated I felt this sense of urgency to get a job right away. Not one in my degree in Psychology or one I was passionate about - just any job that ensured I was employed. This pressure made me lose sight of the fact that I wanted a career that was going to help people.

Teaching has always been a passion of mine. Growing up, I had so much admiration for teachers and the impact they can make on children. However, I've always ignored this interest due to the voice of reason that states teachers don't get the respect they deserve. While I pursued my degree in Psychology, I watched my cousin pursue her passion for teaching and watched her transform into one of the happiest people I know.

After spending some time in the occupational post-college life, I chose to take a leap of faith and spoke with her and some of my former teachers. They encouraged me to follow my dream and helped me make the best decision for myself.

Pursuing my dream was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. However, once I took the first step, I felt overwhelmed with happiness and knew that without a shadow of a doubt I had made the right decision. After enrolling in graduate school to become a licensed teacher, I took on a position as an assistant teacher for an elementary school. It has been the most rewarding opportunities and I feel the happiest I've been in a long time."

By Courtney Hull

I am writing this today to say whatever your dream looks like, go after it with every fiber of your being. Don't settle for what your degree says or what you think is expected of you. Even if that dream is being a coach, a business owner, a teacher, doctor, etc. No matter how big or small your dream may sound in your head; silence that little voice that tells you you cannot. Follow your heart as if money wasn't the only factor. Speak your dream into reality, and if you reach it, go higher. The only person limiting you is yourself.