Dreams of Reality by Emily

Dreams of Reality by Emily - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was six years hold, I hardly thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up. My mind was occupied with learning how to add and subtract, how to make friends and keep them, and how to pass the time with Barbies or Littlest Pet Shop toys. I was more concerned about having fun than building a career. And since playing with blocks and eating snacks in a kindergarten room seemed like fun at the time, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher.
At about age 9, interest in school rivaled with interest in playing competitive soccer. I came to love the sport, and soon considered it to be a serious thing for me. My mind soared with dreams of playing for the United States National Team in the Women's World Cup. I wanted to become the best player in the world. I wanted to play professional soccer and earn a hefty salary, and retire back to a large mansion with a resort-style pool and a rolling lawn. But what did I know about reality? Dreaming was all a nine-year-old could do.
Middle school brought a closer focus on academics, and the career classes I took in 7th grade opened my eyes to a world of careers that fit my talents. I could use my creativity for architecture and design, or my interest in science to become a doctor of some sort. Of course, these were all simply back-up plans for if my professional soccer career fell through. A real job would be too uninteresting for me.
High school really brought about a change in my thinking. Turning 16 and learning how to maintain a job to make money to pay for gas, clothes, and food taught me about the harsh realities of life. I realized the importance of having a steady income that could not be affected by a career-ending injury or a decrease in fitness. I learned that it is important to get an education-and not just a basic one- that could open the door to a wide variety of opportunities for me. Perhaps what surprised me the most was that a college education was not enough to make the big bucks, but that it would be necessary for me to attend graduate school to make a large amount of money. It was my parents encouraged me to pursue this higher education and make more money so that I wouldn't have to worry about debt or loans or mortgages. Because of this, the desire to be a teacher seemed too small-scale and low-income. And my dream for professional soccer, well, would have to wait until after I had completed graduate school. The career of interest to me came to be physical therapy because I could learn about the science of the body, and use this knowledge to help people who are in pain. This job would also bring me a lot of money. And so this was how my dreams and goals came to be molded by the realities and needs of life, instead of simply fantasies and passing interests.
Growing up puts a great deal of pressure on young people while attempting to shape them into adults who are ready to face the world. Sometimes I reflect on what it was like to be so young and innocent, when the world was less complicated and it seemed that I could be anything I wanted to be. I haven't lost my goals or my dreams, I've only adapted them to meet the needs of life. So although I may not want to be the same thing I wanted when I was 6 years old, I wouldn't necessarily change a thing. I have a bright future ahead of me that all began with the dreams of a younger me.