Follow Your Passion by Jamie Kahn https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77 By: Jamie Kahn en-us 2018-05-07 13:52:46 UTC 2018-05-07 14:09:33 UTC hello@padlet.com The Story 1864191 https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258528746 For my whole life, my dad has been working as an educator. I remember when he was a teacher and then he became an administrator. He has switched jobs many times and has gone in and out of private and public schools. For most of my life, I have assumed that my dad majored in education in college since this is what he’s done my whole life. About a year ago, I was having a conversation with him about college and I learned how wrong my assumption was. 
My dad majored in business in college, and he even had several jobs and attended graduate school for business before he went back to school to become an educator. This seemed strange to me because he is so passionate about teaching that I had just assumed he always knew he wanted to go into education. When I found this out, I was shocked but also super impressed because he went through a lot of school but wasn’t scared to switch paths to do what he was passionate about. 

]]> 2018-05-07 13:55:36 UTC https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258528746 The Interview 1864191 https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258529454 This interview gave me the opportunity to learn more about my dad’s career choices that have made him who he is today and that have supported our family all of these years. What I thought would be me asking the questions I had prepared turned into a conversation with many questions and topics I never imagined we would discuss.

 We talked about everything on his career journey beginning with choosing business as a major and ending with his current job. We talked about the differences between when he was a teacher and now that he is an administrator. We talked about the challenges and rewards of his job. Most importantly, we talked about what he loves about his job. 


]]> 2018-05-07 13:56:51 UTC https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258529454 Final Thoughts 1864191 https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258531148 In the end, I realized that my dad is the perfect example of someone who doesn’t settle. It would have been easy for him to stick with a career in the business world and avoid going back to school. He could have made a salary that would provide a comfortable life. However, he would have been settling because he would’ve hated his job. By choosing to take the time to go back to school, he created an opportunity to enjoy his job for the rest of his career. He taught me that it is okay to change your mind on what you want to do with your life. He showed me that choosing not to settle but rather searching for what genuinely makes you happy is most important. Finally, he inspired me to dedicate myself to finding a career that I am passionate about and enjoy. 

The question: “What are you going to do with your life?” is one that I have been asked many times as I began my college search. Many people think that you have to have a plan or you won’t be successful. For me, I know I want to do something in the health field but the possibilities are endless. Doctor, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist… The list goes on and on. At times, I have gotten stressed about not knowing exactly what I want to do. I tend to put pressure on myself. I will say things like: “By the end of freshman year I will know exactly what I want to do.” I used to think that without this time limit, I would fall behind. 

Now, I know that this isn’t true. My dad is a very successful man even though he didn’t have a clear vision of his career when he was my age. In fact, this is normal. How is someone supposed to know how they want to spend the rest of their life when they are only 18 years old? They don’t. And if they think they do, they can still change their mind. After listening to my dad’s story, I know that I need to take this pressure off of myself. Now, I am more confident than ever before that I am on the right track. I am done putting pressure on myself to pick. When I know, I will know. Now, it’s time to work hard in college so that the options are open. I learned from my dad that as long as I work hard, I can achieve anything I want in a career and beyond. 

]]> 2018-05-07 14:00:02 UTC https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258531148 1864191 https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258535868 2018-05-07 14:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/1864191/x4x23tkbhq77/wish/258535868