Taking a little detour from "Motivation Monday" again this week to hear from Danielle about being able to follow her dreams along a very different path than her working mom...actually quite motivating! I am so proud of you and your sister.
Written by Danielle Fineza (age 20)...
Growing up, everyone always asked me “do you want to be a doctor like your mom?” For as long as I can remember, the answer was no. I enjoyed seeing what my mom did on bring your kids to work day and quick trips to the office, but I knew it wasn’t for me. As someone who cried for days before getting a flu shot, I knew I’d never be performing any type of surgery or working in a hospital.
Many parents hope to have their children follow in their footsteps. Whether that’s playing the same sport, attending their alma mater or even following their career path. Beyond that, most if not all parents hope their kids will fall in a “stable” career with almost guaranteed success financially. Understandably so, this can lead parents to push their kids into more science based or traditional majors over more creative fields. It would have made all the sense in the world if my mom pushed me to attend medical school. But, she didn’t. And that made all the difference for me.From a young age, I always answered the question of “what do you want to do when you grow up?” with some sort of creative job. I considered interior designing, creative writing, and ultimately landed in journalism. My mom never suggested I changed those answers and supported my interest in more artistic fields. Likewise, my sister quickly developed an interest in fashion and it became obvious that she would study it in college.
I didn’t realize it when I was younger, but as I graduated high school I became more aware of how many of my classmates were attending college to study a scientific field or explore majors with a more traditional path for advancement post grad. I also became aware of some who were motivated into these fields by their parents. Likewise, plenty were genuinely interested in their field of study, but the stereotype of a “starving artist” kept students and parents alike away from more creative majors.
While I acknowledge everyone’s differing situations, more than anything I appreciate my own. As the oldest sibling, I felt my college admissions experience set the tone for my family. If my mom had pushed me to follow in her footsteps or explore something “a little more practical”, I don’t know if I would’ve ended up where I am today. My mom never questioned my dreams and her unwavering support lead me to push myself into a major that challenges me both creatively and academically. While I hear that “journalism is a dying industry” constantly and know that a career as a reporter won’t always be easy, I’m not scared by it with the support system I have behind me. I appreciate the opportunity I was given to follow this dream and know I wouldn’t be nearly as happy in another major or future job.While I didn’t want to follow her career path, my mom stuck by me in every decision I made. And during my trips to her office, I witnessed her dedication and passion for the work she does. We may not be doing the same thing, but if I bring the same energy and work ethic to my future career I know I’ll be making her prouder than I could have as a doctor.
