We all have those ‘what if’ moments that make us wonder what our life would look like in an alternative world, and for me, there was one hypothetical that stayed with me. What if I had majored in theater like I always dreamed of? When I was younger, I envisioned a future for myself in the performing arts.
Throughout my childhood, I was very active in theater, dance and musicals, so it just seemed natural. Unfortunately, in my family, acting wasn’t regarded as a realistic career, so I looked for something that was deemed more acceptable. My family meant well because they thought acting would be a very difficult career to pursue, but for me, it felt like a loss to give up that dream when I went to college.
During my advisement appointment for orientation at the University of Georgia, I wrote “theater” as my area of interest, only to confess that my family did not actually want me to major in theater. My adviser asked what else was up for consideration, and I thought for a second before saying, “maybe law?” After all, I was good at debating because at each family dinner we would choose a topic and pick sides to argue our points. Although unsure, I thought I should pursue being a lawyer, especially as I knew it was something my family would approve of.
So, the adviser stamped my paper, said "Pre-Law, Political Science," and that was it. From that moment on, my future was laid out. But that desire to perform never left me.
For the next three and a half years, I felt uncomfortable with my major. It didn’t take long for me to realize I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Just a few weeks before graduation, a friend asked me to help her with a journalism assignment.
She had to interview someone, and I was her test subject. I thought it was really cool and wondered whether being a journalist was my best option instead. I finished up my Political Science degree and stayed at UGA to earn a second degree in Journalism.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
