Me: Past, Present, and Future by Olivia

Me: Past, Present, and Future by Olivia - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

I remember when I was younger, I would always be asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would always reply with something vague or something that did not make any sense because I was only a child. Throughout the years, I have seen my future career and goals change. I was always interested in learning about new things and if I loved it enough, I would consider that interest a possible career. Even though my career has changed through the years, I am grateful for those moments of uncertainty and drives to pursue different careers as I believe they will help me in pursuit of the career I am positive in.

When I was younger, I remember loving to ride and care for horses and deciding I wanted to be an equestrian trainer... even though I only rode horses for about a year. That career quickly changed to a musician. After school, me and my friends would hang out and talk about starting our own band. I seriously wanted to become a rock star, to the point that I would argue with my friends on who would be the singer or guitarist or whether or not the songs we wrote would be good enough to perform when our career started. The idea of becoming a rock star and being in my own band stuck with me for a few years until I became older and that interest died away. Now, I can look back on that part of my life and laugh but I can also see things such as using music to tell a story, as any song does and makes people feel something. In some ways, that idea is still with me.

As I started middle school, I really did not have a clue what I wanted to do. I was too busy worrying about friends and passing school. I was counting on the hope that everything would work out and I would find something I was interested in. I still enjoyed music and playing the violin as well as dancing, and although those were possible careers, I personally was doing them because I enjoyed them and not because I wanted to make a career out of it. It was also around this time where I just thought college and the future was so far away that I really did not need to worry even though many of my friends had an idea on what they wanted to do when they were older. This was a time in my life where I did not care too much about a career, no one was asking me about it too much so I felt as if I did not even need to bother. Life was good, I was doing well in school and hanging out with the people I cared about.

I bet six year old and middle school me would never have dreamed to pursue art as a career. Currently, I just finished high school and that experience has allowed me to reflect on my life in the past and where I am going now. I am thankful for those days of uncertainty and the constant shifts in career pursuits because that journey has allowed me to get to where I am now. I am now in pursuit of an art degree where I will go on to find a career in the art field. I want to tell stories. I want to inspire people as those when I was little inspired me. I want to be someone to be proud of. That little six year old me wanting to be a rock star or become an equestrian trainer is still a part of me and the ambitions and the drive to make them happen are still a part of me as well. As I look to the future and my education, I know I have been well-prepared for quite some time. The future does indeed look bright and challenging at times, but I will never forget who I was and am now as I continue my journey through life and beyond.