Memories of Choosing my Major

I thought I wanted to be a family therapist when I was in college, so I declared my major and enrolled in several psychology classes. After taking ‘Family Stress & Coping’ class, I realized that I was okay diving into my own problems and sorting through them, but I didn’t really want to carry the weight of other people’s problems too. So, I needed to change my major, but had no idea what I wanted to change it to. My dad gave me the best advice, take a few fun classes. So, I took horseback riding, and beginning pottery.

I LOVED both of them and it was very refreshing to be around horses weekly and creating with clay was so liberating! Being in the pottery studio and in the art building just felt like home, that is the only way to describe it. I just belonged there and I couldn’t wait to go to class every week. The next semester, I changed my major to Art Educations, since I really didn’t have a portfolio of work to submit to any of the other degrees. I ended up loving it and was able to take so many art classes. I discovered printmaking my senior year, though, and was so sad I had not found it earlier, it was by far my favorite class. Though student teaching junior high students was a challenge, I eventually landed a great job as an elementary art teacher and loved it so much! I’ll save that story for another time. I’m so grateful my dad encouraged me to just seek out something that brought me joy. In doing so, I found a great career path.

I hope you are able to make time doing something that is just fun and enjoyable for you!

Raku vase I created in college