As more and more seniors start to apply for colleges, many are asking themselves the question adults have been asking them their whole lives, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Before most children even step foot into kindergarten, there is a future profession that draws their eye, whether it’s a doctor, a professional baseball player, a teacher or even Spiderman!
While some people decide on one exact, chosen career path when they are in elementary school, others are still weighing all of the different fields they could explore and work within when it’s the traditional age of retirement.
There’s no real due date for deciding on one career for the rest of your life. You can have one, or you can have a dozen. It can take trying a lot of different jobs to really filter out what it is that you like to do.
Many people settle for jobs that they don’t really love, and this makes working much more difficult.
Nobody really wants to wake up every day to attend a job that they don’t like to do, yet many people can relate to having that problem.
People often face difficulties finding jobs that they truly love and are passionate about, but doing so can make a huge, positive impact on their life. Interests can emerge out of the experiences gained from people met, places visited and memories made.
Oftentimes, people fall in love with a career that they would have never predicted enjoying years earlier. And this is because as people grow and experience more, they are able to learn more about themselves.
The Park City High School seniors interviewed provided background stories for how they became so drawn to the career path of their choice, whether it was a specific event or years of practice.
One senior that was interviewed is Sophie Neff, who has developed a passion for healthcare and wants to go into the field, more specifically the field of oncology.
Neff first discovered this interest while in third grade after her aunt passed away from Diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The loss of a loved one to cancer led Neff to feel more and more drawn to the oncology field, as she wanted to make a difference for patients with similar stories and circumstances to her aunt.
“I’ve always had a deep desire to become an oncologist because I would like to make a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of cancer patients,” she said.
Neff’s admiration for this career path has developed more and more overtime, and one aspect that really helped her fascination and passion for oncology grow was volunteering and involvement in the field.
“Witnessing the resilience and strength of patients while volunteering at Huntsman Cancer Institute has further inspired me to dedicate my career to medical research and compassionate care,” she said.
The Huntsman Cancer Institute, which is located in Salt Lake City and is part of Intermountain Healthcare, offers volunteer opportunities for young people ages 16 and older.
Not only did it provide Neff with more experience in the field, forming connections with the community and the patients there has also helped her to continue to develop her passion of giving others long, healthy lives.
The experience inspired Neff to give advice to anyone struggling to find a career path that suits them.
“For those who are uncertain about what they would like to pursue, I recommend exploring your passions and finding a career that will continue to excite and motivate you.”
Neff’s insight is wise, as choosing an exciting career that you really love is so important for success.
She also said, “It is also important to remember that no decisions are permanent, and it is always possible to change your mind.”
A lyric from Baz Luhrmann’s hit song “Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen)” provided some insight on this topic.
Luhrmann reminded his listeners, “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life / The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. / Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.”
This message is important in advising not just young students but everyone that there is no rush in deciding what you want to be when you grow up, even when you are “grown up.”
Another senior, Sophia Kenton, is interested in dance.
She dances for Summit Dance Project here in Park City, and she has been since the age of three.
Kenton has starred in countless showcases, competed in competition after competition, and has performed in the studio’s production of the “The Nutcracker” ballet, which she will do again this year.
“I want to be somewhere in the dance field, whether that’s choreographing or performing or teaching,” Kenton said when asked about her post-high school plans.
She said the reason for this desire to dance as her profession is because she’s dedicated 14 years of her life dancing.
“Dance makes me feel extremely fulfilled and accomplished, and if I can continue in this career, then why not? It is also a source of my ambition and my grit.”
Kenton has an admirable dedication to dance, and has spent so much time on her art for over a decade. Her determination and stamina are commendable, and like many people, she feels her love for art cannot outweigh financial concerns.
“Don’t let money be a factor,” she said. “When I think about it, I would rather be trying to figure out money while doing something that I love and play it by ear. Especially in dance, there are so many opportunities that people don’t realize.”
Each graduate will head in different directions after they walk across the stage, receive diplomas and toss their caps into the air. At the end of the day, after all the grades are finalized and the absences are counted, the career path that they choose after school is their own and it is what they make of it.