When I was in high school, I felt like the only person in my school who had genuinely no idea what they wanted to do with their life. While everyone around me was applying to colleges and writing their essays for submission, time froze for me. 

I believe that one of my biggest flaws is my inability to look ahead towards the future. If I could, I would have pushed the future farther and farther away, but it only caught up to me in the end. 

I had many interests, but nothing that I could see myself pursuing as a career. With my graduation date drawing near, I decided to save money and buy myself more time by attending community college. In reality, I was only furthering the inevitable countdown, patiently waiting for a clock that would soon strike. 

My friends visited their colleges, wore merchandise and searched for roommates to start their new life. Far away they went, while I was still stuck in the same small farm town that I had been in my whole life. 

I virtually attended community college classes, studying forensic science and working as a waitress to save up money. This was single-handedly the most isolated I had ever felt. Lacking a normal day-to-day schedule and social interactions with my friends, I felt as though I had lost my motivation and spark. 

My two-year community college plan was short lived, as I knew I had to cut my journey short and go to a real university. It was the only way for me to break out of the vicious cycle I was in while I was at home. 

Without touring Hofstra University, I applied and hoped for a key that would let me unlock every part of myself that I dreamed about being. I rode this dream all the way from my acceptance letter to move-in day. 

With my new life on the horizon, I was terrified, but I knew anything would be better than the dread I felt during that year taking online college classes. 

I started out at Hofstra pursuing forensic science, a field that I had taken interest in for the past five years of my life. I finally had a focus and clear direction: I wanted to be a forensic document examiner. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed my forensic-focused classes, I was struggling in both my chemistry and biology classes. 

Toughing it out through my spring semester freshman year, I hit a point where I had to be honest with myself: If I was unable to understand these difficult science courses during college, I was never going to be able to make it work in the real world. 

This was a fight that I had been battling for far too long. I was attached to this idea of becoming a forensic scientist, without ever exploring other options.

Suddenly I found myself at a dead end once again – stuck between the crossroads where a decision had to be made that would change the trajectory of the rest of my life. I spent the entire summer thinking about where I should go from here. 

I had a lot of fun with the investigative side of forensic science and being able to write about the cases. This investigative aspect could be translated to journalism as journalists search for the next hit story and watch it unfold. 

Through joining The Hofstra Chronicle, I discovered a newfound passion for journalism. I believe that having the ability to inform the public and tell people’s stories is an incredible honor for a journalist. 

I was aware that many college students change their major during their time at university, but no one ever speaks about how utterly terrifying it is – to not only leave the possibility of one life behind, but then to take a leap of faith into uncharted territory. 

Even though I was unsure of the outcome, I will never forget the genuine joy I feel every time I publish an article. That, in and of itself, is worth it. Your friends taking the time out of their day to read your work and telling you that they learned something from it is always a rewarding feeling. 

From STEM to communications, I made the ultimate jump. It’s okay to be unsure and change your mind. Trust yourself and you will find the path that works for you.