Society's Voice by Katrina

Society's Voice by Katrina - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

Marriage and family is a concept that has been shifted and changed throughout the ages. It’s a strong value in today’s society- even more so in past decades- to get married and have a family at an early age. Subsequently, this pitted being a mother against being a full-time worker or college student or traveler for most people especially the woman. Growing up I never saw myself having children and wanting a family, I wanted to be a field scientist like Jane Goodall. I had and always will have a sense of adventure. A taste for new and amazing things that strike my curiosity to a point where I have to discover more about them. Doing this would make me happy and encourage the growth of my research and love for all creatures. Though as I age I can see that in the future I would also want to have a family and settle down. I come from a large family with parents that always joke about having a lot of grandchildren. Although having a family is far in my future it has still become a constant struggle in my mind between working a job I love and having a family, settling down, etc. I was constantly always torn between the two as if I could never have both and be content with what I want to accomplish in my lifetime. This fight has plagued my mind and has proven to be a struggle for me because I am a person whose future is planned out.
Since I was a child in middle school I have known my path and course for this world as to what college to attend and what honors or AP courses I’ll be taking, but now as my journey in high school is coming to an end I can’t help but increasingly think of my future and dwell on this topic. I am jealous of those people that can choose want they want, between one and the other. So many of my friends and peers do, there is a visible divide as some people believe as a mother you have to be close to your children and some believe you should strive to excel in your future career. I felt as if the decision was being made for me really. Society tells every one of us and always puts emphasis on having a family and working. It evokes the idea that we can only have one or the other. I failed to see that I can choose not to choose. It doesn’t have to be a struggle between one or the other, I can choose to have both and I will. There’s really no reason besides societal values that force woman- specifically in my scenario- to choose between the two. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can choose to have both, you can choose to make it work. And I choose to. I will continue to make the best of my life and do things- make decisions- that I want to make without letting society’s voice whisper to me telling me to conform to normal standards. When I get out of high school it will truly be my decisions that guide my life and I will choose to make a family and working as a field scientist coexist. I will accomplish both things whether timing them together or choosing to separate the two. I do not need to choose, I can have both.
After realizing this it helped me in everything. I realized my life even in high school, was never laid out for me. I choose to accomplish the things I have done and the courses I have taken. Every mistake I’ve made or good thing that has happened to me was because of the decisions I made. I never realized before that I controlled my life because it never felt like it up until this moment. Now I know I choose my own fate and future. To some this may feel like a burden as it is easier to let someone else puppet your life but to me, this makes everything more clear. I have improved on my decision-making skills while not letting things get to my head. I have found my own way in this world without letting society tell me what is right from wrong when it comes to life because it is my own life. My outlook on life has improved from this valuable lesson, I look forward to decision making because I know when the time comes I will choose the right path. Realizing that I do not need to decide to make a decision has been an experience I hope every young person can have. From it, I learned so much and I continue to refer back to it every day. It is a soothing feeling knowing no matter what I do I am in control of it and my life can be exactly as I want it to be. And being the stubborn girl I am, no one can tell me otherwise.