Change is all around us. Watching the red lights turn green, leaves slowly falling to the ground, or even trying out a new Starbucks order, change happens in our lives every single day. It’s often scary and overwhelming, but without it, we do not grow.
Over the course of my time so far at college, I have never experienced so many changes as I have in these past two years. It is hard to understand why things happen, but over time, we realize that we would not be the person we are today if life did not send us adversities.
Coming to Sacred Heart, I enrolled as an Interdisciplinary Studies major on the five year track to become an elementary educator. As I write this, I laugh to myself imagining a world where I’m in charge of 30 kids at a time, let alone be responsible for actually educating them. As you would’ve guessed, my time as an Interdisciplinary Studies major was not long lived.
I never actually wanted to be a teacher, but the comfort of having a plan that is set in stone made me think it was for me. Already having the exact career layed out in front of me made me think that teaching was what I was meant to do. It takes a special and passionate type of person to become an educator, and unfortunately, I am just not one of those people.
At the end of my freshmen year, I decided to take a leap of faith and switch my major to Strategic Communications, Public Relations and Advertising. When my friends and family would ask me what this program entailed, or what I wanted to do with my degree, I never had an answer. It just felt right.
Going into my sophomore year starting a new course plan made me terrified. Did I make the right decision? What if I hate it and have to switch into something else? Would it be too late? Questions amongst questions filled my head before the semester even began.
While navigating these questions about my new journey, the semester started. My first class that week was Intro to Media Production with Professor Golda. As he began explaining what the course would entail, I felt myself being able to actually breathe. Learning skills in photography, podcasting, video editing, amongst other things, I understood that I had made the right decision. I never felt such excitement in a classroom before. The feeling of
realizing I will be taking classes to learn things I have been passionate about my whole life will stay with me forever.
As the weeks went on, I quickly began recognizing that I am learning, both academically and about myself as an individual. Seeing my projects surpass my own expectations allowed me to feel at peace with the leap of faith I had taken.
As I sit here as a junior, I could not be more happy with the decision that I made a year and a half ago. Learning to produce news stories, how to write for newspapers, and even how to produce a full podcast by myself are things I always dreamed of doing, but never thought I would. The gut feeling I had as a freshmen ended up being the reason for why I am so passionate about my studies today.
Although I still do not have a clear idea with what exactly I’ll be doing post graduation, I know that I won’t be in a classroom wondering why I didn’t follow my heart. My message to anyone reading this who has anything that they want to accomplish but seems too unrealistic, go for it. It is easier to regret the things you’ve done than the things you never pursued.
