As a kid, if I had kept track of every time someone told me I would make a good lawyer, I probably would have lost count. It wasn’t completely unwarranted, after all, my own mother is an attorney, and I’ve been compared to her more times than I can remember. That’s part of the reason why I switched my major in January 2025 from journalism to political science pre-law. I knew the legal profession often offers steady income, job security, and a clear, structured path forward. I also believed that, no matter how challenging law school might be, I would be able to push through and complete it, regardless of the cost. In all honesty, my true passions have always been rooted in politics. Still, the career outlook with only a bachelor’s degree in political science felt increasingly uncertain. When I thought about choosing my major, one word kept coming to mind: safety. Then, one day in December, I had what can only be described as a quarter-life crisis.
After an 11-hour drive from Philadelphia back to East Lansing, I crashed into my bed around 5 a.m. EST, not seeing daylight again until I woke up roughly eight hours later. The trip itself had been a blast: a chance to see one of my long-distance friends and to watch one of my favorite sports: hockey. The weekend had been a rollercoaster of emotions, especially after my favorite player was traded midway through my drive to the East Coast. Sitting in my apartment, disheveled and slightly lightheaded, I spent nearly 40 minutes on the phone with my mom, rambling. I told her everything: how the drive went, what we ate, how Gilianna was doing in college, and most importantly, hockey. It was while I was going on about the potential league ramifications of Quinn Hughes being traded to the Minnesota Wild that I had one of those moments. The kind that feels like it belongs in an early 2000s Disney Channel original, like I was breaking the fourth wall mid-episode. All that was running through my mind was passion, love, and pure joy. I loved talking about sports, I always had, but it was in that moment that I realized it was my truest passion.
What followed was a three-hour deep dive into research: sports media careers, the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences website, and my own transcript. All of it happened while I was still on the phone with my mom — my biggest supporter — who never once expressed doubt about this sudden shift. After all, she helped shape me into the sports fan I have become. I grew up watching her live and die with every Red Sox postseason game. The more I researched, the clearer everything became, yet at the same time, the more uncertain I felt. A wave of doubt and anxiety hit just as quickly as the initial clarity, and suddenly I was at a crossroads: do I stick with what’s safe, or do I choose what I truly love? Of course, MSU doesn’t hold advising appointments over break, so I had five weeks to sit with that question.
Rejecting the path to law school meant a lot. It meant less schooling, fewer student loans, and for me, less pressure surrounding my GPA. For anyone unfamiliar with postgraduate admissions, GPA can feel like everything, a number in my Student Information System became my fixation. Letting go of law school meant letting go of the pressure to be perfect: to maintain a 4.0 at all costs. At the same time, I knew that switching majors halfway through my sophomore year could delay my graduation. These competing thoughts came to a head during several advising appointments, where I ultimately decided to add a major in public relations while keeping political science.
In all, my message is simple: step outside your comfort zone to figure out where you truly see yourself. Sports have shaped so much of my life, and I want that to continue in my future. This new path has already opened doors, internships, creative opportunities like photography, and most importantly, a new sense of confidence. At the end of the day, we’re all here to get an education, but don’t forget how much you’ve sacrificed to be here. College is what you make of it.