Taking a Risk Pays Off: My Path Towards a Fulfilling Career

Taking a risk and completely changing your life’s path and goal is something many of us are scared to do. When you are in your last year of high school and are told to choose your future, many of us don’t quite know what we want to do for the rest of our lives and some of us only think we do. This is exactly what happened to me. I thought, “I know exactly what I want to be, I am going to be a graphic designer!” I then went straight to college and took graphic design for three years. My first year, I loved everything about it; but my second year was a different story. I saw that this was not really a career I wanted for my life and started to see that my hobby and passion of creating wasn’t as much fun if I had to do it for clients and homework.

I finished the program thinking that this was it, I chose my future and I had no choice but to stick with my decision.

By the end of my last year of college, I was able to help someone very close to me through a substance addiction. It was hard, but when it was in the recovery phase, I started to really see what a positive impact I had on my loved one and this got me rethinking my choice of career. I remember telling my mom, “If I could rewind time and go back to high school, I would take all the necessary courses to then become a social worker, specializing in addiction and mental health.” Her face was very puzzled. She said, “You know that you don’t have to stop your education yet, you can go back to school and become a social worker.” And then it just hit me.

I realized that education never stops and that it is important in my life.

Applying to a university outside of your hometown and moving away from your family is extremely hard for anyone no matter what, but sometimes it turns out to be the best thing you can do. Becoming independent is so fulfilling, especially when you chose such an amazing university. Now, living on my own, 4 hours away from my family, taking a program that means so much to me, I am truly happy. I now look forward to school and learning about all the different aspects of social work. I’ve met amazing new friends and can really see my future in the distance. Sometimes, taking a risk pays off. Don’t be scared to try something if it feels like the right thing to do!