When I was seven, I went to the gym four hours a day and six days a week. When asked at this age what I wanted to be when I grew up there was no question. I would say, “I want to be a professional gymnast.” To me gymnastics seemed almost as if it were a career, you studied it, trained for it, performed it, and eventually achieved your dreams. I was a natural at gymnastics. I remember, one day after a hard practice, I was walking into the lobby to get ready to go home, when a group of moms stopped me. They leaned down and said, “We were watching you practice today, you were excellent.. We just want to know when you will be in the Olympics?” As a child, I simply calculated the first Olympics I would be eligible to compete in and responded, “2012”, and walked away as simple as that. I honestly believe it too, moves came easily to me and I trained hard. At that age there was no doubt it my mind, I was meant to do gymnastics.

As years passed and injuries occurred, I spent more and more time at the doctor’s office. I realized my dream of being a “professional gymnast” was not going to happen but while I was there I witnessed firsthand the lack of care for patients and for patients’ time. Later when my grandfather was mistreated at hospital and died due to the poor treatment, I found a new calling. This time I was sure I was meant to be a caring and passionate doctor. Doctors help all kinds of people, directly influencing people’s everyday lives, creating the greater good of society. This became my goal, however, in Technology and Careers class, in seventh grade, we researched our careers. Once I realized how much time and money it took to be a doctor, I again realized it was not meant to be.

Still wanting to prevent careless treatment of patients and help the greater good, I looked into careers; I found health administration. This career allows me to make a difference in the way doctors practice by regulating procedures and policies in order to deliver quality care and efficiency. By helping the doctor help society, I help society. For many years now, health administration has been my number one career choice. Working towards this career I began to take classes required for this major. I began to study it and train for it so one day I can achieve my dreams and work in this field just as my time in gymnastics taught me.
You never know how you’ll find out whom or what you are meant to be. For me, gymnastics led to injury, which lead to doctors, which led to my career dream. As long as you have a passion for it, the only way to find out is to work at it. For now I will work towards what I think I am meant to do, be a health administrator, and see where life takes me. One dream can lead to another and eventually you will find your perfect calling.