As a teenager I considered myself incredibly successful, I could do anything I set my mind to. Whether that was playing basketball with the school team, wining best delegate at a debate competition or just playing the flute with the orquestra, I was unstoppable. In fact, I was so great that by the time I was a senior, I was voted most likely to succeed. Little did I know how that simple award would mark my later years as an adult.
Back then I knew success was being great at whatever you choose, not what society dictated. It was never about the car, the house, or the spouse, which is why I had never thought about my profession in terms of money but rather in terms of what I wanted to be. So for the longest time, I wanted to be a marine biologist but then my parents said I’d probably end up being a teacher and that kept me from studying that. Just like that my plan went up in flames, and so started the craziness of figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Now I am all grown, and still a bit lost. Suffering from what some might call imposter syndrome and therefore avoiding a job in the area I so desperately wanted to join as a teenager. Wanting to make a difference in STEM wasn’t as easy as getting a degree, I must actually do something in the area that would inspire myself and others. So that’s were I currently stand, at the crossroads of remaining comfortable or welcoming change and facing my fears.
