“So, what do you want to do with your life?”
It’s a question that’s haunted me for many, many years now. Always in the back of my mind and scooping at my brain matter with knives and spoons. It devoured my mental health daily with a resounding burp. It was scary not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, and I really had no idea.
For a while, I was determined on going into criminal justice or the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI, but I eventually realized it wasn’t for me. Researcher, lawyer, psychiatrist, screenwriter— they all passed through my mind, and for a decent amount of time, too. Every few months I felt like I knew exactly what I wanted, but now I think I really do.
Every person who’s been through even a bit of high school has that one teacher or faculty member who made things bearable for them. In between long, boring classes filled with subtle bullying and busy work, there was one teacher that always knew how to engage the class and make people excited to come—someone who was always there to help students out and listen to what they had to say. I want to be that person. I want to make high school bearable for those who need it and to be the person struggling kids can confide in if they need help. It doesn’t even need to be a teacher position either; I could become a school counselor or psychologist and still achieve my goal.
I’ve always had this desire to change the world or leave my mark. I’m pretty sure everyone has. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that desire can’t be fulfilled by everyone. So why not try and change the lives of as many individual people as possible? That’s something everyone has the power to do, and I want to be able to make life just a bit easier for the ones who arguably need it the most: high school students.
Suicide is the third leading cause of teenage death in America, and although this is a very complex topic, I know from experience that an unhealthy school environment only worsens the mental health of those already struggling and can raise the numbers exponentially. If I can save at least one child from ending their blooming life and becoming another statistic, I would consider my wish to be fulfilled.
Amazing work, Lauren! I’ve gone through a similar struggle when it comes to figure out what career I want to purse, so I really connected with this. Your reasons for wanting to work in the school system are truly beautiful and inspiring; I think you’ll be a wonderful source of comfort for the students you’ll work with.
Are we on the same wavelength? I so identify with the desire to make a difference, and I’m so glad you feel the same way. If there’s anyone fit to make life just a little bit easier for someone, that’s definitely you and your kind soul. Go forth and do good things, I believe in you!
I understand the feeling of not knowing what to do in your life, it can be very stressful for someone, especially this late in highschool. But I’m glad you think you know what to do now.
That’s a really cool goal to have. I hope you stick with it cause you would definitely be able to reach out to a lot of people that way.