When
I was 10, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I wanted to study whales and swim
with dolphins. I knew it would require getting a college degree, and while I
did not fully understand what that meant (no one in my family had gone to
college), the idea was cemented that college was the path to the work I wanted
to do.
My
marine biology dream was put on the shelf a couple years later because, at the
ripe old age of 12, I decided that since I did not live by the ocean, being a
marine biologist was not a realistic possibility. And while my logic for not pursuing that
dream was flawed, looking back I realize my commitment to going to college was
cemented. What I could not have anticipated
at the time though, was just how much I would gain from my college education. It was so much more than a necessary step
down a career path.
A
college education is not simply a means to an end. It is part of our individual evolution, and
what we get out of it is personal and unique to us. Consider this:
In
college:
•
We choose, often for the first time, what we will
study.
•
We are introduced to new ideas, different
perspectives, and challenging situations that require us to analyze how we feel
about certain issues, and why.
•
We get to practice integrating new concepts and
unfamiliar approaches with familiar ideals in a safe environment where learning
is what is expected of us.
•
We develop tools to cope with these challenges, and
to continue to grow into them as time goes on.
This
daily practice of integrating what we learn - from professors
in class, from new friends with diverse backgrounds, and from the
extracurricular activities we choose to be a part of - into our
personal and professional choices, impacts our future decision-making
capability in immeasurable ways.
Like
so many others, I approached college as the first step to building a career.
Thankfully, though, I also embraced my college education as more than a means
to an end. The critical thinking,
concept integration and decision making skills I put to the test in college
have helped me every day since in my quest to be my best self: as a woman, a
mother, a partner, a successful professional, and a life-long learner.
Unlike
that naive 12-year-old girl who put her dream of swimming with the dolphins on
the shelf for what, at the time seemed an insurmountable obstacle, I now know
how to consider, analyze, and make the best choices for myself and those I care
about. And I have my college education
to thank for it.
