A shift in ambition

For as long as I can remember, my dream was to become an elementary school teacher. That’s what I always pictured myself doing. On every scholarship letter, college application, and through every boring small talk conversation with family members, education was my passion.

But that all changed this last summer.

In an attempt to use writing as hobby, I stumbled upon a future career and never looked back.

I started a blog and wrote a very personal article about my special needs brother, which I never intended on sharing with anyone. It took me weeks to muster up the courage to put my work out there for others to read, but as soon as I did the reaction was overwhelming.

My article was shared several times on social media and subsequently published in two newspapers. The blog piece generated over 1,100 views and people that I barely knew were reaching out to me, telling me how much they could relate to my story, and thanking me for conveying emotions that they never knew how to explain, themselves.

I never thought people would read my work, let alone connect with my experiences. It was such a high to receive recognition for my writing and feel confident in my own ability.

A pivotal moment for me in my career change, however, was when I was approached by a woman from my hometown, who I had never spoken to before. In the most sincere manner, she told me I needed to write a book. At first I thought she was joking but then she asked, "you're going to be a writer right? I mean you've got to be going into journalism or something." When I explained that I was planning on becoming an elementary school teacher, I could see the confusion in her eyes.

This was enough to make me think.

I have always enjoyed writing and thought of it as one of my strengths, though I never thought it could be a lifelong career. I began searching for jobs in other fields and taking as many online career finder quizzes that Google could provide me with.

This is when I found Public Relations.

I chose this field in particular, because to me it seemed like an important skill to have, an asset if you will. Having had no prior knowledge of PR and zero experience with the field, I took a leap of faith and found my place in the world. I began taking classes with people who had similar aspirations to me. Creative, outgoing people who I shared similar skills and intelligence with. Suddenly, school didn’t feel as daunting and I had finally found my niche.

Blogging, social media strategies, public speaking, and writing were all tasks I actually wanted to complete. The idea of doing something like this as a career blew my mind.

Five years ago, if someone told me I would be majoring in PR someday, I would have thought they were crazy. When you're young, you think you have it all figured out and nobody can change your mind. I didn't know how wrong of a career choice elementary education was for me until I took a chance and found PR. Growth doesn't come from comfort zones, and I've finally left mine.

#ambition #dreams #PublicRelations #College #careerchange