Ever since I was a little girl, I was told I could be whatever I wanted to be, as long as I worked hard and set my mind to it. Of course, as a doe-eyed kindergartner, hearing things like this sparked both inspiration and curiosity when imagining what the future had in store. After somersaulting through an array of aspirations over the years, my mind was set on veterinary medicine by the time I started my sophomore year in university. I mean, playing with cute puppies and kittens everyday, all while exploring my passion for science and medicine - what more could you want!? So I set my sights on vet school and worked my a** off during my undergrad in hopes of getting accepted one day.
Of course, every amazingly fascinating story includes a plot twist, so here it is. Fast-forward a few years later, I quickly learned that playing with puppies and kittens all day is most definitely NOT in the job description (Gasp! Shocking! Wow!). Quite the contrary is true actually - the majority of animals you see want nothing to do with you and will most likely claw your face off once they see the white coat. Full disclosure, angry cats often cause WAY more damage than angry dogs - the endless scars on my arms will testify against any objection (I'm still a total sucker for cute cats though - can't resist those adorable velvet paws).
Anyways, after about a year of tirelessly working alongside adorably angsty fur babies, I came to the realization that it was not where I saw myself dedicating a lifetime to. It's a very disheartening feeling to come to the realization that something you've set your mind on accomplishing for years on end might not be something you actually want. One major problem that I faced following this revelation is that I managed to convince myself otherwise because the thought of packing my bags after years-worth of commitment was horrifying. I truly believe that the most difficult part of such a huge transitional period in one's life is coming to the decision to start that transition. In my case, that decision felt especially hard to make because I didn't know what my next step was.
Excitement began to replace my fear of failure once the light at the end of the tunnel became a little clearer. For me, that light was the tech industry. What really drew me towards tech was the continuous novelty and innovation that the industry was tackled with on a day-to-day basis. Working in healthcare has made me appreciate technology so much more than ever before. The technological advancements that we have been able to master using computer programming are outstanding and have improved the quality of life of millions of patients, as well as healthcare professionals themselves. Our world is moving in a very clear direction, and that direction is towards a future lead by tech.
With this in mind, it was clear that I saw a future dedicating my life to to be apart of this massive technological revolution. More importantly, I strived to become a woman who is apart of the revolution. More and more women are thriving within the tech industry and are breaking the barriers that have been built in such a male-dominated field. If an industry is going to have such a revolutionary and worldwide impact, it is so important that it's members are representative of everyone we are impacting. Web development is the perfect combination of algorithms and creativity and anyone who knows me will tell you that such a blend is right up my alley. Mastering Flexbox brought me to tears of joy - that in itself is just a slim idea of the type of gratification I get from web development.
I came across a meme the other day (I know, so Gen-Z of me) that read the following:
2000: I wouldn't dare meet anyone off the Internet
2019: All of my closest friends were met over the Internet
We live in an era where the Internet brings people to places, ideas to people, and people together. There is nothing more that I want than to be a part of that cascade and I have never been more excited for what this next chapter holds.
Top comments (4)
Thank you for that post. It remembered me about a thing: I said to some friends, once, that you shouldnt follow your dreams before carefully think about them, and analyze if you are following a dream or a idealistic image of something. Some of them said that this would destroy the magic of the things and you would be following a plan, not a dream. So i said: thats the point, this is life not Hollywood. Now everyone thinks I'm pessimistic - i prefer practical. I think you must have come across similar thoughts i had when thinking about your aspiration X passion question.
Right there with you!
I had dreams of being a doctor (pediatric trauma surgeon, to be exact), but my head injury ended that by taking away my natural proficiency at biology and chemistry. Turned out, it was just as well — I don't handle emotionally-charged high-stress scenarios as well as I thought I could, and I am not an adrenaline junkie.
Computer repair work has entirely fulfilled everything I loved about the medical field, with the bonus that I'm not crushed when I "lose a patient". Meanwhile, being a software developer, mentor, and project manager has given me an ever-changing outlet for my leadership skills and high-speed mental processing.
Good for you.
I had something similar. I have been building websites since the mid nineties. But I never thought I could get paid for it. At the time you would see “webmasters” selling sites for 100 dollars a page. Geocities was novel and new.
I got into it, because I wanted to make video games. Fast forward a few years and I was in school to do just that, after being persuaded to not do it.
A few years later, and I was one of three people from my graduating class to get a design role. Most ended up in QA or drove truck.
A few years later, and I realized just how abusive and under paid that field is.
Good thing I never stopped building for the web. It’s funny that I have one and a half masters degrees, enough undergraduate credits, and I am being paid to do the thing I self taught myself when I was 13 before Google was a thing.
All the twists and turns, and all we can do is hope we get to the good stuff before the road runs out.
Good on you. Thank you for sharing! 🙏
Wooh! We need more like you.