My Dream Job and How College Will Help Me Get There by Gianna

My Dream Job and How College Will Help Me Get There by Gianna - February 2019 Scholarship Essay

I did not grow up dreaming to be a lawyer or a surgeon where I win the hardest cases or hold a human heart in my hand. While these jobs are undoubtedly prestigious, I was always sure that I wanted to work with kids who have disabilities.
I researched all of the ways I could work with special needs kids, and I fell in love with pediatric occupational therapy. What would normally be considered “simple tasks” to most people are considered milestones to the kids the therapists work with/that the motor skills most people take for granted are challenging for the kids. Occupational therapy changed my point of view from what I do not have to what I am lucky to have. I want to spend the rest of my life helping kids with everyday tasks for a better quality of life. I truly believe that it is my job as person who has full range of motion to help those who do not. My dream is to become a pediatric occupational therapist to be able to impact kids lives not just by teaching them how to tie their own shoes or brush their own hair but by giving them the motivation they are going to need throughout their lives.
My college plans will not only help me reach this goal by allowing me to get my degree but going to school for occupational therapy will allow me to meet people who share the same interests as I do. One thing I have learned throughout years of going to school is that you learn best from the people around you. I want to go to college to hear other people’s stories and to be inspired by my classmates and my teachers to pursue my dream. I want to learn from them so that I can be the best version of myself for the sake of the kids I plan to help.
My dream job is not driven by salary or travel benefits but by the gratification of knowing that the kids that I will work with have a chance at a complete life. I do want kids with autism, down syndrome, prosthetics, multiple sclerosis and other challenges to be able to live their lives to the fullest. I will do everything in my power to educate myself so that I can be the change they need in their lives.