I’ve done a lot of self reflecting this spring semester.  Whatever new career I found (through internet searches and other people) never seemed to fit, and a new one would only sound exciting for the first couple of days.  I was lost and had no idea about what my future would appear to be.  Then, my uncle/Godfather died from stage 4 pancreatic cancer in the middle of the semester, and my whole world was thrown into a vortex of depression.  It took me a while to recover from that shock, but I eventually got back on my feet.  I began thinking about my true purpose in the world even harder now.  Since I was a kid, I’ve always fantasized about saving the world and making it a better place.  Now that I’m a student looking for a career, I could become anything I wanted, even a hero that saves the world.  My uncle’s death has inspired me to pursue a career in cancer research as an Immunologist.  Ever since I began looking at this career, I haven’t stopped feeling the excitement.  I feel content with this choice, like I finally found my path in life.  Studying immunology isn’t going to be easy, but I have tons of family who support my decision every step of the way.

When I was in 7th grade, I was dreaming about veterinarians and becoming one someday.  I always strived to learn how to help animals in every way I possibly could.  My relatives always asked about my high ambitions and how I was planning to fulfill this dream, and I would always inform them on my progress.  Becoming a veterinarian was stuck in my head so much that every other career possibility flew over my head, and I never bothered to gather information about other careers.  My first week in college changed my world, as I learned to open my eyes to all of the possibilities for my future.

But now, I don’t know if I can close my eyes and pick one career.  I want to learn a little bit of everything and become an adult who can solve any problem.  I realize that there will always be problems that I can never solve, but I want to be able to provide some input or have an understanding of whatever problems confronts me.  Because of this thirst for knowledge, I can’t pick a single career to put the majority of my focus towards.  Trying to browse the career possibilities for me is like a little kid at a candy store; the kid wants a little bit of every candy on the shelf.

Lately, my focus has been on a career in cancer research, primarily in molecular and cellular biology.  I lost my dog to cancer, my uncle/godfather was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, and my father had melanomas removed twice off his back.  I’m trying to use this event as a driving force to settle on a career once and for all.  Cancer has to be stopped, and I want to be a part of it.