This one is really more a prompt than an essay.
I’ve been talking with some folks on campus about ways to help more students identify their career goals early on, on the theory that it’s easier to stick with a course of study when you see the point of it. The goal may be years away -- we have students who intend to transfer for the bachelor’s and beyond -- but that’s fine; as a navigational tool, it still works.
For me, it was a narrowing-down process. I had a very general idea early on that I liked studying politics and big social issues. What came after that was a combination of funneling, trial and error, and serendipity. Moving from faculty to administration came much later, and was never the original goal; I just realized at one point in my early 30’s that I was only a pretty good classroom teacher, but that I had the temperament and perspective to be a good admin.
I’m guessing others had different experiences, but there’s nothing like asking. So…
When (and how) did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?
