When she was growing up English teacher Hannah Blue had dreamed of being a lawyer. As she painted her nails lime green in her University of California, Los Angeles dorm room, Blue paused. It was a small moment, but it shifted everything.
“I guess when I’m a lawyer, I can’t paint my nails lime green,” Blue said.
Inspired by the movie ‘Legally Blonde,’ she believed studying political science and law would allow her to help people and pursue her interests.
“I always loved writing and history. I guess I always knew I wanted to be in a people-focused job,” Blue said.
When she started at UCLA, she was interested in pursuing a political science degree. Despite enjoying an American Politics course, a different politics course named Game Theory did not feel right for her. Instead, her passions shifted toward a focus on different subjects aside from politics.
“I started realizing I don’t think I actually love political science. I think I love history,” Blue said
As she thought more about becoming a lawyer, her doubts grew louder since the career no longer aligned with her values or interests.
“What if I’m supposed to be defending something I don’t believe in? What if I don’t agree with the morality of the case, but it’s my job,” Blue said.
While learning more about her passions, Blue simultaneously realized how much joy she found in teaching and tutoring others.
“I’d done enough tutoring and working with people to know I love English, I love history, I love writing, I love reading,” Blue said. “It’s so powerful to give people the tools to speak for themselves, write for themselves and read and interact with the world.”
Blue was not the only one who found herself reconsidering her path after discovering new areas of studies. Social Studies teacher David Ledesma also had been set on a different path, changing careers throughout his life, starting in accounting and ending up in education.
“One thing that people don’t realize when they’re younger is that you change as a person as you get older. Sometimes things that you thought you would have been into or that you wanted to do later on in life, you realize you don’t,” Ledesma said. “Maybe it doesn’t give you fulfillment, or maybe there’s no jobs in that field.”
As advice to students, Ledesma emphasized the importance of thinking long-term when making decisions that impact their future. He wants his students to know what the realities of life are before they continue pursuing their careers.
“I don’t try to tell people what everybody else is telling them. I try to tell my students the realities of life, not the niceties of life or what they want life to be, but what life actually is, ” Ledesma said.
Considering real world-challenges even more, Ledesma believes students should choose their majors based on subjects they perform better in.
“If you pick something that goes with your strength, you tend to be more successful,” Ledesma said.
Senior Saarika Gunapu initially planned to pursue a career in computer science as she was often familiar with the pathway from her family. After taking more Advancement Placement courses throughout her high school journey, her path and passions expanded.
“As I took (classes) like Statistics and Macroeconomics this year, I felt more drawn towards the business and entrepreneurship side,” Gunapu said. “I’m still going to be doing CS (computer science) and continue coding, but I feel like there is more to apply in the field and in the job market with business.”
For senior Maryam Solaiman, her journey with deciding her career began in middle school where she first joined Girls Who Code and took a Java class, where she received a deeper understanding of coding.
“I joined Girls Who Code (again) freshman year, and I feel like it allowed me to explore coding, but in a space that was just for women,” Solaiman said. “A lot of other coding clubs that I found at school that were already created were mostly guys, so (Girls Who Code) was really supportive.”
Solaiman continued her interest by creating her own clubs, such as Competitive Programming club and Women in STEM. Furthermore, she discovered the American Computer Science League, which illustrates coding and theory while also being accessible for all individuals.
“There are different levels for beginner, intermediate and senior divisions, so it is suitable for everyone,” Solaiman said. “For Women in STEM, we learned about women’s empowerment and people in STEM and explored different career options.”
Without the pressure to pursue a certain career, Gunapu was able to choose her future pathway based on her passions. She was focused on mastering one skill instead of being good at many. Gunapu advised others to explore as many classes in the beginning, even if it is not for one’s major.
“One thing I do regret is not taking Psychology and other classes. I probably should have just for fun,” Gunapu said. “Of course don’t take the AP for the AP. Sometimes you may not like it, and some classes might be hard because you don’t actually enjoy it.”
Similarly, Solaiman discussed how taking community college classes helped her learn more about coding and advocated for others to do so as well.
“I would recommend taking community college classes, if you want to explore different career options,” Solaiman said. “They’re a lot of different options there, and it’s not tied to one teacher.”
While Gunapu based her career path mostly on fondness, Solaiman leaned toward having both a practical and passionate connection to computer science.
“I’ve always heard CS is good for money and living in the Silicon Valley. A lot of people are doing CS, so you have a support network,” Solaiman said. “I also feel like CS is really good for doing anything you want because it’s in every single field. You can use it for a business and even if you want to go into healthcare. I feel like I would never get bored doing it.”
Gunapu highlighted the importance of exploring different activities and interests. She encouraged younger students to take the time to try various experiences as it can help clarify their future career path.
“Don’t miss out on opportunities like clubs because I feel like that’s where you find your passion a lot of the time. I feel like people will find their passion through things like that,” Gunapu said. “Join as many clubs as you can, play the sport that you love, do your arts, your music, and it’ll come to you eventually. You’ll realize what you really want to do.”