When I was about ten years old, I was once told that many of the women in my family, notably a number of my aunts, were currently pursuing career paths that had little to nothing to do with the bachelor’s and master’s degrees they once earned. At the time, from my perspective of total inexperience, I viewed this news with skepticism: What? How can a person change what they do with their life? I thought it likely that everyone has all of their personal motivations and plans figured out by the time they complete their education.
Now, as I comprehend the enormity of what entails building a meaningful career for oneself, I find my aunts’ stories quite comforting. Each one of them has proved themselves to be immensely successful in their own definition of the word, regardless of the degree they hold. It remains true that several of them are no longer pursuing career paths that relate to the degree they once earned in college. Hearing about each one of these women’s paths throughout their lives has culminated in a belief of mine that I hold close; that there is no harm in redesigning the path one is on. It has the potential to culminate in something much more valuable than locking oneself into a trajectory that was once anticipated to be their future.
There are several examples of this change occurring in my family history. A prominent one is my aunt who holds a law degree, and now practices professional quilting as a living – and has for decades. Her designs are intricate, thought-provoking, and unique, gracing both her beautiful home and her relatives’. Thus, her presence is woven, as similarly as the threads weave her quilts, into our everyday lives. The handmade blanket that kept me warm as a child and the purse that we once spent hours creating together mean immensely more to me than a difficult case, especially since I cannot personally relate to the desire of chasing that particular career path. Instead, I hold these mementos of our relationship close, and remain grateful that she provided her beauty to the world, and continues to.
Another aunt, who graduated from Dartmouth with a passion for cross-country ski racing, anticipated a career in education, and did pursue this path for a time. Upon deciding she desired to pursue a different area of life, she settled back into her little Vermont hometown, giving back to the local high school community who raised and supported her all throughout her own education. Her love for the people of the town has always inspired me, and as her niece, I am delighted that she was able to discover a way to do what she loves around youthful people while fulfilling her own inner satisfaction. I know that her beaming smile and upbeat attitude has benefited the students around her in immeasurable ways.Â
My mother’s youngest sister is perhaps my greatest inspiration of perseverance in the face of adversity. A paralyzing injury left her movement permanently restricted at the age of 17. Today, she is a Paralympic silver medalist. Her determination, self-confidence, and strength (both mental and physical) are unmatched by anybody I have encountered before. Her career path does not resemble that of anyone else in my family, but the success she has accrued will continue to inspire me and my relatives throughout our lifetimes. I have always held immense admiration for her as a person and an athlete, and feel immensely fortunate to have grown up guided by a symbol of such resilience.
With abundant emblems of growth, intelligence, and creativity surrounding me, I cannot help but feel soothed when I consider the somewhat daunting reality of pursuing my own career path once I graduate from college. Wherever I end up, surrounded by people I do not yet know and generating an income from something I cannot yet name, I will find comfort in the paths of the women who inspire me, lead me, and encourage me. And then, I can remember: the most rewarding career paths, the ones that leave others so positively impacted, are often anything but linear.