This
week was Honors Week here at TCU. When not in class, most of my time was spent
watching senior friends present their honors theses they worked so hard to
complete. Although I learned something from each of these presentations, what
stood out to me was what happened at Honors Convocation, the final event of
Honors Week. At the end of the Convocation ceremony, the honors faculty
presents an award to one professor in recognition of their contributions to the
Honors College. This year, the Honors Faculty Recognition Award went to none
other than my Literature and Civilization II professor, Dr. Dan Williams.
As
someone who isn’t sure what career path they want to pursue or what major they
want to study, hearing Dr. William’s acceptance speech certainly got me thinking.
After thanking his wife for years of support, Dr. Williams mentioned several
important lessons he taught us in class. One, in particular, was the importance
of finding a career that we enjoyed and were passionate about it. This is
something that I have always struggled with; I’ve found that so many of the
things I enjoy don’t lead to the most lucrative careers. Not only that, but I
do not enjoy many things at all. Is it worth taking a lower paying job in order
to do something I enjoy? Should I aim for a better paying job that I do not
care for in order to provide a more comfortable life for my future family and
me? These questions and more are always on my mind. I’d love to find something
I enjoy that also provides a comfortable lifestyle. Although I did not
necessarily find the answer to my question, Dr. Williams’ words still had an
impact on me. There is so much more to a career than just the work itself and
the pay; there are unique experiences that nobody foresees when they first take
a career path.
Almost
a week ago, I changed my major to something that I don’t have a passion for but
that I’m good at. After being reminded of the importance of truly enjoying what
you do, I’m once again unsure of how to proceed. I just want to know that I am
making the right choice, but I guess it is not always possible to discover the
outcomes of the decisions we make until we have deeply invested ourselves in
them. I envy Dr. Williams, as he has found something he loves and where those
around him honor him. Hopefully, I too find where I belong someday.
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