As a kid, we dream of what we want to be when we grow up. Some kids say doctor, lawyer, astronaut, or scientist. I was always unsure of what I wanted to do. I always relied on some career placement test that had a high percentage of accuracy to tell me what I should be. I never had an ounce of faith that I could be something that I dreamed of being. I was the practical one. In my mind, what I was meant to be was something that my peers and classmates would label as a “successful career.” I never felt like any of those careers lined up with my heart, even though they were intellectually satisfying.
When I was in high school, I took a career placement test and I was told by an advisor that it was highly accurate and its results would help guide me into a career that I was meant to be in. My results were as follows: forensic scientist, biomedical researcher, and physical therapist. I was baffled by these results and questioned their accuracy. Why would this test place me in a career field that I was less than passionate about? I recalled my advisor saying this was an accurate test and would place me in the career I was meant to be in. So, I decided that I would go to school for athletic training.
In the Spring of 2013, I took an honors anatomy and physiology class. It was the end of the semester and I had a failing grade. I studied hard and went to tutoring, when the final was graded, I had passed the class by a fraction of a percentage. I then decided to take the summer off and find a new career. That summer, I recalled my days as a kid and then realized I wanted to be a writer. I would then change my entire degree plan to the opposite side of the spectrum from where Istarted.
In the Fall of 2013, I met with an academic advisor. I expressed my interest in becoming a writer. It was in that moment that I was told most of the classes that I had already taken did not line up with my new career path. I spoke extensively to my advisor and she mentioned Journalism as an option It was then that it clicked for me, I was going to be a Journalism major. So, I went from taking Science and Math courses to taking English and Literature courses.
In 2017, when I had completed my general education courses, I started exploring Journalism courses. At this time, I was directed to an Arizona State University Pathway Map. This map would lead me to attending one of the best Journalism schools in the country, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It occurred to me that this would bring me one step closer to becoming a writer. However, at this point in my community college career I still hadn’t decided the focus of my career focus, I just knew I wanted to be a writer.
I spent most of my community college career in Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society. I didn’t realize it then, but this would play a huge part in me finally deciding on a career path. In late 2017, I was a chapter officer for the second year in a row. I had decided to run for the Arizona Regional Office for Phi Theta Kappa as the Public Information Officer, this title being equivalent to a Public Relations Manager. I ended up winning the election at the Regional Convention in the spring of 2018. During the 2018-2019 school year I had taken a Media and Society course. There was a unit in that class about Public Relations. With my recent election as Public Information Officer, chapter public relations and secretary positions, I had finally found my calling.
I graduated from Phoenix College with my Associates in Arts and had been admitted into the Cronkite School. Finally, I was able to start living out my dream. I knew that all of the hard work and the long hours I had dedicated to pursuing my career in journalism would be worth it. I was up for the challenge of completing my bachelors in journalism in mass communications with a minor in marketing.
That girl in grade school who was unsure of herself and insecure, had blossomed into a confident and secure woman at the Walter Cronkite School at ASU. That woman now realizing that a little faith and hard work can go a long way in making dreams come true.