August, 1999. My car stereo’s blaring as I pull onto campus with my bare foot hanging out the open window (it’s much more comfortable to drive that way.) I had it all figured out. I was going to help people by teaching high school English—but still make $100,000 a year. I was going to marry my high school sweetheart, someday. I was going to continue community service and theater. I was going to have a great time at college and while maintaining a 4.0. I knew it was all going to be perfect…

     It’s funny how the more I learned at Guilford College, the less I knew. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I killed so many brain cells that I forgot how to spell my name; it’s not like that at all. But the more I came to know about independent variables, Kant’s categorical imperative, and what a tracking shot was, the less sure I became that my big dreams were going to work for me. I realized that there’s so much more out there than I ever thought possible (and that some of the things I thought possible just aren’t, at least at this time.)

     Now, what I thought I wanted was never really lost—it just looks different than it used to. I still want to help people and work with the education system. But, as I’ve grown to understand some of my strengths and limitations, I know that teaching English is not my best contribution. I am incredibly organized and a leader. If I wasn’t a "born leader," I’ve had enough training to make the difference indiscernible. I am people-oriented and have learned to work with many different types of people. I’ve come to realize that I want to work at a college "when I grow up." Higher education seems to be a place where I can make meaningful contributions to meaningful lives and feel satisfied with my work. When I look at the people who have made a significant impact on my life, most of them have been in some kind of a mentor or teacher role. They’re caring, fair, giving, and patient—all values I strive to incorporate into my own life. By working in higher education, I can mimic these values, combining them with my organization and time management skills and hopefully pass some on these onto students. I’ve been working with the First year Center and the mentor program and enjoy working with first year students. I would like to learn about how to help them more effectively and just what it is about first years that enables them to see life so concretely. I don’t remember exactly when my rigid walls fell, but now my more flexible future is much more exciting.