Of Airplanes and Glasses by Johnathan

Of Airplanes and Glasses by Johnathan - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was six years old, I wanted to be an airplane. Not a pilot, mind you; I wanted to be an actual airplane. I was infatuated with flying and wanted to do so by my own power. When I presented this idea to my mom, I was informed that I could not physically be an airplane, but I could become a pilot. That was a significantly less exciting prospect, but it became my new goal. All I had to do was wait to grow up enough to learn how to pilot an airplane.

Just before I started third grade, my dad noticed that I sat as close to the television as possible and still had to squint to see. After a visit to the optometrist, I received glasses which made it easier to see. However, it also began to dawn on me at that time that flying would require good eyesight. I had in my mind that the only pilot worth being was an Air Force fighter pilot, and not long after getting glasses myself did I put together than my poor eyesight would prevent that career line.

At this point, I had basically disqualified myself from becoming a pilot, but I did not have an alternative career goal. I focused on getting through grade and high school. I did particularly well in math and science classes, but no career path spoke to me. I served a mission for my church, hoping that I would receive inspiration by the end of it for what I should do with my life. I did not receive any such inspiration.

As I researched majors to decide where I wanted to focus my college studies, I counseled with my parents about good career choices. I was good at science classes, which seemed to lend themselves to medical work. The local optometrist, who had prescribed my glasses from third grade and onward, was getting close to retirement. I could pursue a career in optometry, and if my timing was lucky I could take over my optometrist’s practice. I decided to study microbiology in college, and the classes requisite for that degree covered all the prerequisites for optometry school.

Now I have graduated with my BS in microbiology and a minor in statistics, and I have been accepted to optometry school. It has been a strange path going from wanting to be an airplane to starting in on becoming an optometrist, but life is strange like that.