It’s okay to be undecided

As seniors get ready to graduate from high school in the next few weeks, they’ll undoubtedly be asked the tough question often of “what do you want to do with the rest of your life?”

I remember when I was 18 and getting ready to head off to college, people would always ask me that question, and quite frankly it was very overwhelming.

The reality that I learned through the five years since then is that I really had no clue what I wanted to do with my life and what I thought I wanted to do is not even close to what I ended up doing so far.

Going into college when people asked me the big question, I told them that I wanted to throw shot put in college and wanted to one day be an athletic trainer.

When I got to college I did end up throwing shot put, but I never even took a single class in athletic training or any health science course.

Once I was in college, I got the chance to take courses in subject areas that I didn’t even know about and once I took those courses I realized that I had different passions.

In college, I was able to take political science courses and realized that I was really passionate about it and eventually got my degree in it.

Also during college, I got to learn about the world of journalism and realized that it was something I was also passionate about, which helped me find my way to Minnesota, where I got to meet my soulmate and also my puppy Finn.

If it wasn’t for me accepting the fact that what I thought I wanted to do and what I told people I wanted to do was something that turned out be something I wasn’t passionate, I would never had been able to pursue a whole different part of my life.

My point is this. For seniors, make sure you keep your eyes wide open when you go into college or into the workforce. Look for different opportunities whether it’s classes you can take, or opportunities you can take advantage of while your working. By doing this, you’ll have the chance to learn about things that you may be interested in and find your passion in something you may not know about.

For parents, grandparents, teachers, aunts, uncles and every other adult in young people's lives. Try not to focus on the question of “what do you want to do with your life” and instead encourage them to explore different opportunities in life.