The Future
Launch the media gallery 1 playerWhen asked what they want to be when they grow up, most young kids respond with some glamorous career choice. They say things like astronaut, cowboy, singer, doctor, or maybe even a scientist. As they shout their answers out, their eyes light up with wonder.
When I was a young child, I didn’t exactly fit that mold.
When asked what I wanted to be, I didn’t say any of these careers. I said, with my eyes lighting up, that I wanted to be a veterinarian, which was quite a tongue twister for a five-year-old!
I live on a farm just outside of Leigh. Since I was young, I have spent a lot of my time with animals, so it only made sense for me to want to be a veterinarian above all else. At the time, I didn’t know just how much work it was going to take.
As a sophomore in high school, I had the privilege of taking an exploratory career class. When asked about what I wanted to be at the beginning of the class, I was still saying veterinarian with my eyes lighting up. However, by the end of the class, I wasn’t saying it anymore.
After researching and realizing how much hard work it was going to take to be a vet, I shied away from it and started thinking about other careers because I didn’t think I could do it. I even set up my job shadow for an engineering position. Through my sophomore and junior year, I still had the same thought on my mind: it was too much work. Fortunately, this year, my senior year, my eyes began to light once more as I rediscovered my passion for animals.
As an FFA project, I had the chance to raise a litter of puppies. I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed taking care of the puppies and making sure that they were healthy. I loved watching them grow, seeing their eyes open, and witnessing them take their first steps. As I was selling them and watching them leave our farm, I realized that this wasn’t going to be a one-time thing for me. I knew I was going to want to help animals my whole life, which brought my dream career back into focus.
Raising a litter of puppies is what really solidified what I want to do in the future and what I want to study. Yes, talking to my parents did help too, but this experience is what really sold me.
Now, even though I know what I want to do, and I have picked where I am going to college, I am still a little anxious about my decision to become a veterinarian. I know it will take a lot of studying and hard work to become a vet, and I am definitely worried about that. But I have learned over the years that the best rewards in life are usually a direct result of hard work and persistence. With this mantra in mind, I am excited for college, and I am ready to work toward the career that has been my dream since I was a little girl.