It’s a typical spring day in northeastern Pennsylvania. Spring-which seems to take forever to finally come (the groundhog should really start seeing his shadow more often) is finally here. The birds are chirping, the clouds are cotton balls, soft and fluffy, floating aimlessly through the baby blue sky. As one walks they can smell the blossoming rosebuds a mile away. The warmth of the sun is strong and exhilarating, bringing a smile to everyone’s face after the months and months of what seemed like endless snowfalls. The show shovels are finally packed away, and the line at Curly Crème ice cream is wrapped around the building. Where ice was a month ago, there now is a field of dandelions. All of the squirrels, birds, and critters that entered a deep stage of hibernation have finally awoken from there long, cold slumber and stepped foot into the finally bright, fresh, cheerful, promising world. The news stations are no longer displaying in big capital letters “SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND CANCELLATIONS” across the bottom of their screens, but instead are talking about a plethora of concerts, festivals, and picnics. The trees that were covered from head to toe in a fresh, delicate, glistening layer of snow, are now blossoming beautiful flowers in shades of purple, pink, yellow, and orange. A lot has changed in the past month (typical for Pennsylvania with it’s unpredictable climate) and with the mark of spring marks a new beginning.
Each year the juniors at Wyoming Area High School host a career day. The goal of the day is to enlighten the students with a variety of options they can eventually have a career in someday. In preparing for the event, the school hires a multiple people from all different professions and the students have to select from a list of about ten options which top three careers sound the most interesting to them. Upon receiving the list, and being a very stressed out junior like many people, it was indeed a life or death matter. As my guidance counselor read down the list, “Nursing, military, education, pharmacy, biology, business, cosmetology” I felt like my head was going to explode. So stressed out and feeling like I had no direction in life since I had no idea of what to major in I interrupted him, “Mr. Rabel what do I do?” “What do you mean?” he answered abruptly. “I am 17 years old. In a few months I’ll be starting my senior year. Everywhere I turn it seems like everyone knows what they want to do with their life. Ask everyone at my lunch table this question and you will get an answer in a split second. Teacher. Nurse. Fashion Designer. Ask me and I have no idea. I just feel like an oddball sometimes and so alone. I don’t know what I’m going to do, what I’m going to major in, where I’m going to go to school , and…” “Jess! Stop. Calm down. It is okay to be unsure of what you want to do it is important to weigh out your options and see what your best at”. For a moment or two I was really inspired by Mr. Rabel’s advice. After all, he was the man who has watched me grow up in this school since seventh grade, of course he would know me better than anyone and how to help. Who was I trying to kid that I was all alone. After a few minutes of contemplating what to say after my almost emotional breakdown I answered him with confidence, “I know I am good at chemistry my teacher last year was excellent and I really learned a lot, and I enjoy science. I am a people person a love to talk and meet new and interesting people. I love bio, I just had AP Biology this year”. “Perhaps something medical or medicine wise would be the best option for you, Jess. You are capable of handling the workload, and I have 110% confidence that you would succeed”.
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