Last updated on July 26, 2019
This post was written by Amelia Orozco, one of our DCCCD student bloggers.
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
We spend the entirety of our lives focused on how to be successful or achieve an inconceivable goal. But, at the end of the day, are any of us really content? When senior year in high school came about, there were only two possibilities for my future I had floating in my mind. One; I would leave the nest, venture to a new state, and live in a dorm room while getting a bachelor’s degree in business. Or two; I would put off college for a year, save up money, and move to Los Angeles for some music related pipe dream. I went from wanting to become a music producer one day, to a business major the next, and eventually settled down with the decision of becoming an English teacher. How, you ask? Why would I ultimately choose such a mundane career choice? The reason is life. It continued as each day, week, and month went by and nothing in my life changed.
Too much time was spent deciding between career choices that I would never be fully satisfied in. Consequently, college was put on the backburner. Fortunately for me, I was offered a job at my local YMCA working for an after-school program. There was not much thought put into accepting it; I recently graduated, wasn’t registered for college classes, and had nothing else to do with my life. I blame my indecisiveness for that. But that indecisiveness changed my life drastically. Accepting that job opportunity and becoming involved with children opened a door I never noticed was there. The little joy of making someone smile warmed my heart and gave meaning to my life. Why couldn’t I make a future living off this happiness?
Three years flew by as I continued to work in the education field. Three years of procrastination and not hitting that ‘register’ button on every community college site I visited. I found my purpose but wasn’t executing it to the fullest extent. There was still something missing; what college path would fit my life’s purpose the best?
The only thing I loved more than working with students was the love I had for the written word. I went from writing lyrics in my sophomore year of high school to producing poetry after graduation. Put teaching and writing together and I found the perfect career choice; an English major became the best ultimatum.
After committing to the decision of becoming an English major, along with a creative writing minor and teaching certification, I finally took the next step of enrolling in college. In the fall of 2016, I started online classes through Mountain View College. Once I graduate with my associate of arts here, I plan on transferring to California State University, Los Angeles to complete my bachelor’s degree requirements. Had I not put off college I would be another 9-to-5 mope wishing I did something different with my life instead of taking the traditional college route. The world works in mysterious ways, especially when you’re not sure of what you’re doing in life.
From this learning experience, my advice to you is to not let cultural norms or life pressures get in the way of what makes you truly happy. If you have something you are passionate about, keep it in your grasp and use it to your advantage. Your life will be much more content if you simply follow your heart.
A little more about me:
I am Amelia Orozco and I currently attend Mountain View College via online courses. My hobbies consist of writing poetry, photography, reading books that spark my interest, binge-watching Netflix, and the occasional hike. I hope to inspire others through teaching, writing, and photographs. Every time a laugh is shouted, a pen scribble changes a perspective, and a flash captures someone’s untold story, I will have done my job accordingly.