REJOYCED: ‘Never Grow Up! Not Me!’

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JOYCE TSUI
Editor in Chief

” What do you want to be when you grow up?”

That was the question I’m sure all of us were asked countless of times when we were kids. It seems like a harmless question; whether we wanted to be a firefighter, a ballerina– or in my case, a teacher– our teachers just wanted to help us pave the way to our future, right? But how was I supposed to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life when I didn’t even know what I was going to eat the next day?

Granted, there are those kids who believe they are destined for a certain career and aim to achieve that goal as they grow up. I commend them because I wish I had the same ambition they have, but unfortunately, I am not one of those lucky few. My dream of being a teacher fizzled away at a young age when I realized how much I feared public speaking.

Now that I’m in my senior year, that same question is brought up and it’s now followed with, “Where do you want to go to college?” You’d think that after years of being asked what I wanted to do post-high school, I would have things figured out by now, but unfortunately, I am still waiting for that epiphany.

While I do know my interests and have an inkling of what I want to pursue as a career, I am still unsure of my future endeavors. Which college am I best for? Does this college have the best programs for my major? Is that even the major I want? My head is constantly swimming with questions and I’m still searching for the answers.

I’ll be the first to admit it; it’s scary to go through this process and realize that I am only eight months away from graduating high school and six months away from turning the big one-eight. I’m nearly done with high school and I’m almost a legal adult? I still can’t believe it.

Growing up is a huge step in anyone’s life and now that I am finally facing it, it’s terrifying. I didn’t think this phase in my life would ever occur, nor did I think it would come so quickly. I may be stuck in a Peter-Pan complex, but alas, growing up is inevitable. I can only focus on the future ahead of me after high school.

My teachers, family and friends have provided me with the advice and support I need for this time in my life and I didn’t realize how much I would appreciate it until now. I may not know where I’ll be this time next year, but at least I know I’ll be prepared for it.