What career do I want in life? High school students, even college students, are astounded by the thought of no longer depending on their parents. Independence is not something that implements fear, but gives freedom and security because students know their children, wife or husband, and standard of living will depend on the wise decisions made today. High school students, especially graduating seniors should have an outlook of the profession they want to pursue.
As a current high school student and first-time generation Mexican-American, I understand the importance of a higher education. I decided in fifth grade to be an engineer and in eleventh grade to specialize in industrial engineering. Even though there are times when I have doubts on why is it that I want to be an engineer, I rejoice because at least I have a basis on which to proceed on, rather than not knowing what career I am interested in. The strong decision towards education still influences my life; I have not changed the focus on my career, mostly because of the strong support of my family.
Family continuously supports us to pursue our aspirations. My parents instigate that there is nothing impossible if one is humble and kind. Attaining a profession is more accessible than in the past, it does not take vast intelligence or only a selective few will achieve their dream, it takes students who are willing to give their commitment and make a firm decision in their career. The career a student chooses, if they choose, does not depend on their family or situation, one has the will to overcome any obstacle. Contrary, seeing someone in our family be successful and have a higher standard of living encourages us to pursue a post-secondary education because we are aware of the immense obstacles they faced, such as illegally immigrating here, having a family of their own, and living distant from home. Testimony strengthens our desire to change the pattern of our family’s educational background, and once we are professionals, we must remember those who helped us and help others, our community.
Our community depends on the work from many Professionals and compassionate people. Many local businesses contribute to helping the youth through scholarships, internships, and volunteer work. They are interested in inspiring youth to develop leadership skills, generate confidence in their abilities, and expand professional horizons through hands-on exploration; and, the main goal is to create diversity in future leaders. Through such programs, opportunities arise and bring hope to underserved communities and students. Students can and may use such opportunities to pursue their career. In fact, students no longer need to worry about their career costing hefty amounts of money, which is another colossal obstacle; many compassionate and professional people will contribute to your education if you show a firm commitment. These successful people motivate and encourage others, most importantly our youth, to keep pursing their career.
The focus in our career, politically, has become “go to college to get a good job”. Individuals and families weigh the decision to go to college, the choice of college, and even the choice of major, primarily according to financial considerations. How much will it cost, and how much will I earn when I am done? This has led to a consumer mentality regarding higher education: the student is buying a product and expects or demands satisfaction. I strongly disagree with the reasoning that modern youth have to an extent. When choosing a career, one must choose what one desires to be regardless of the money needed to major in that field or the money expected from the major. Money is an immense factor when choosing a career because nobody dreams with being deprived, but money as I see it will come to you if you truly love and enjoy what you do. The satisfaction will come from knowing you do not have to routinely wake-up to a career you are miserable in, but rather wake-up yearning for tomorrow to come because you know that tomorrow will be better than today.
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