“What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?”
Jennifer Smith
English 111
February 16, 2011
Essay One - Revised
“What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?”
We are usually asked this question very early in life: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s one of the biggest questions asked of children, from toddlers to teenagers. It’s always asked to help encourage kids to think of their future. After all, how many children really know what they want to do with the rest of their lives? Oh yeah, there are those lucky few who have a special calling. Many kids will say they want to be a police officer, firefighter, nurse, teacher, and many other professions. Some know exactly what they want to be from the start and go for it. But how many of us as adults, when faced with the same question today, know exactly what we want to do for the rest of our lives? I’ve had my share of dreams. I can remember when I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The first thing that came to my mind was a doctor. I didn’t know at my age about all the different specialties there were. Instead, all I knew was, I wanted to be a doctor and cure people. Unfortunately, as I grew up, I came to realize the schooling and everything else that came along with pursuing my dream. No one ever mentioned the hard work or how long it actually takes to become a doctor. All I heard was, “You can become whatever you want.” During my senior year in high school, I tried to decide whether or not to go to college. To be honest, I hated school, and the thought of another two to four years in college really irritated me. The summer after I graduated, I went on a Youth On Missions trip to South Africa. I was among sixty teenagers from Florida, Michigan, and California. During this time, I realized that sometime in my life, I wanted to go overseas and do more mission work. It felt good knowing that I was offering some hope to people when they had none. After I came back from my mission’s trip, I decided to enroll in Indiana Bible
English 111
February 16, 2011
Essay One - Revised
“What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?”
We are usually asked this question very early in life: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s one of the biggest questions asked of children, from toddlers to teenagers. It’s always asked to help encourage kids to think of their future. After all, how many children really know what they want to do with the rest of their lives? Oh yeah, there are those lucky few who have a special calling. Many kids will say they want to be a police officer, firefighter, nurse, teacher, and many other professions. Some know exactly what they want to be from the start and go for it. But how many of us as adults, when faced with the same question today, know exactly what we want to do for the rest of our lives? I’ve had my share of dreams. I can remember when I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The first thing that came to my mind was a doctor. I didn’t know at my age about all the different specialties there were. Instead, all I knew was, I wanted to be a doctor and cure people. Unfortunately, as I grew up, I came to realize the schooling and everything else that came along with pursuing my dream. No one ever mentioned the hard work or how long it actually takes to become a doctor. All I heard was, “You can become whatever you want.” During my senior year in high school, I tried to decide whether or not to go to college. To be honest, I hated school, and the thought of another two to four years in college really irritated me. The summer after I graduated, I went on a Youth On Missions trip to South Africa. I was among sixty teenagers from Florida, Michigan, and California. During this time, I realized that sometime in my life, I wanted to go overseas and do more mission work. It felt good knowing that I was offering some hope to people when they had none. After I came back from my mission’s trip, I decided to enroll in Indiana Bible