“Have you lost your mind? Children are like little Dracula’s, all they do is suck the life out of you.” Those are the words that were spoken to me by a woman who asked what my major was, which is elementary education.

I have debated quite a good bit on what I would like to one day be. I always knew I wanted to do something that would make a difference in the world, and a way I could help people. As a high school student I was a member of HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America), where I competed for 2 years and actually made it to the national competition to compete in Transcultural Healthcare. So I had the dream to become a nurse practitioner so that I could become a traveling nurse and also do some medical missionary work.

Well I entered the marvelous world of college, and I quickly changed my mind. I remember the day I changed my mind on the whole nursing thing. I was in my first semester of college and I was in my nutrition class. (I consider myself to have a rather strong stomach, seeing as I did clinical work for our local hospital for 2 years I learned how to deal with some rather nasty things.) Well my nutrition teacher decided to one day enlighten us on some of the most disgusting things we would have to do. When the word “impacted” showed up, I decided nursing was not for me. I give props to the people who are able to handle all the many things nurses have to deal with, but I simply know I would not be able to do this.

When I broke the news to my parents that I no longer wanted to be a nurse, they were heartbroken. My dad encouraged me to continue to look for a job in the medical field, so I looked, and I looked, and I kept on looking. I could not find anything that caught my eye. Well I finally decided I may try dental hygiene ( that lasted for about 5 minutes). I met with my advisor to make my schedule for dental hygiene and to say the least, I left with tears running down my face.

Then finally after many hours of prayer and a complete reevaluation on my life. I finally discovered what I wanted to do. I want to be an elementary school teacher. When I try to figure out why I didn’t realize it sooner, I just can’t put my finger on it. There have been so many signs in my life that this is what I need to do, but I chose to ignore the signs until now.

About 4 years ago I went on a mission trip with my youth group to Nashville, TN. While we were there we would go everyday to a daycare and play with the kids and just give them love and affection. When I say I had the time of my life, I mean I would give anything to go back and just relive that week. There were so many sweet kids and I just loved being around them. I mean honestly, who can’t be in a good mood when you are surrounded by little kids that just look up to you? Well that week I met one little girl in particular who changed my life. This little girl took to me in a way nobody ever has, I mean she was attached at my hip (but I wouldn’t have had it any other way). She would tell me all about her day, her family, and some of the things she had been through. And this little girl just melted my heart. And deep down I feel like she is one of the main reasons why I chose teaching.

For some reason I have been thinking a lot about that mission trip and I wonder what those kids are like now. I have prayed to God for guidance as to where I need to go in my future and what I can do with my life to honor and glorify him in the best way I can and he keeps bringing me back to thinking of those children. I want to be able to be there for other kids and give them all the love and attention they deserve. And if I can do that by being a teacher and also getting to teach them a subject I am passionate about (english), what could be better?

A few weeks ago when I went to my college to make my new schedule for elementary education, and I was so excited. I talked with the lady who was helping me decide on classes, and she told me that she felt like I was going to make an incredible teacher. When she said that I thanked her and asked her what made her think that. Her answer made my heart so full. She said “I can just feel how excited you are. And listening to you talk I can tell that you have found your passion.” When I was in the meeting I was asked what I wanted my endorsement area (subject and grade I will be teaching) to be, and without any hesitation I answered “third grade english!”. I had been debating for weeks on what I wanted to do and still didn’t have a certain answer until that moment. It was like I had secretly known all along what I wanted to do. When I left campus that day I didn’t have tears of sadness rolling down my face, I had tears of joy.

I can’t wait for the day where I get to go to a school and decorate my classroom and prepare to meet my students. I love the fact that I am going to get to play a part in influencing the futures of my students. And I most importantly, I can’t wait to see how God uses me to be a light for all the young children I will get to teach.

The pay may not be the best. The job may have moments where I experience nothing but stress. But there will never be a day when I will dread going to work, because I will be doing something that I love and am passionate about. There will never be a day where I say “I wish I had chosen a different career”. And there will never be a day that I question why God lead me to teaching. I will simply thank God for guiding me into a field that I truly love and am already so excited to be a part of.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs