“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Your kindergarten teacher asks the class.

Someone says an astronaut, another says a doctor. But you think to yourself, what do I want to be?

I think of all the endless possibilities and choices that cloud my head each time I am interrogated with the same question. Which career do I want to focus on for my future?

Last year, I remember the counselors asked students to choose their classes for the next year, in addition their desired career pathway. 

Following my passion for a future in the medical field, I deliberately chose health science and medical terminology for my electives. The urge to try something new led me to The Sidekick, an entirely different field from medicine. My other passions include art and design, courses in yet another field that won’t seem to fit in my schedule.  

The world around us begs the question out of us, but there is really no answer. I want to become a fashion designer, enjoying the feeling of accomplishment after successfully sewing my homecoming dress from scratch. 

I want to become a doctor, exploring human anatomy. I want to help save lives. 

I want to become an artist, painting blue skies and water lilies like Claude Monet.

I want to be a writer, typing away on those fancy typewriters – the choices are endless.

They say you find your passion in high school. What if I find more than one? When the time comes, will I only be allowed to pursue one career? Some days all I want to do is sit around and factor trinomials all day. Other days I want to dissect a frog and scour through its organs. On rainy days, I want to devote six hours to painting a vase of flowers. That’s the factor – time.

High school is a busy time for everyone, with extracurriculars and never-ending homework. I found myself driving away from my hobbies, with all my time dedicated towards school. I have not painted since the end of summer, have not picked up a book of my own interests since two months ago, and have not strummed a guitar in longer than I can remember. All these components of my daily life make me wonder if I will ever make up my mind. Most of my friends have already found their calling, and it makes me think of if I am late in finding mine.  

The expectations of knowing who I will become are constantly thrown at me, but I honestly have no clue. I could be in the midst of building up my fashion resume, but instead I am typing away words on a Wednesday night. I could be volunteering at a hospital, but instead I am studying for a math test. Why can’t I have it all?

Most think you can only have one profession, but that isn’t necessarily true. As the workforce develops, people are likely to pursue multiple careers to fill their ambitious desire. If you persist in life, you can strive to complete all of your goals – all of them. We do not have to restrict ourselves to one thing as it is important to explore other passions and build on them. And if you think about it – why pick only one? Multiple careers allow you to exercise your different passions in different ways and applications.

So, back to the kindergarten teacher. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I don’t know, and I don’t have to know right now. If I were to make a guess, probably something along the lines of a doctorfashiondesignerpaintersciencepersonwriter.

One isn’t enough. It really isn’t. 

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