When we are young, the world feels limitless, and our dreams reflect that sense of boundless possibility. But as we grow older, life often takes unexpected turns. What happened to childhood dreams when faced with reality?
Our current seniors share their childhood aspirations, how their paths changed over time, and what they dream of becoming today.
“When I was younger, I dreamed of being an astronaut; it wasn’t deep; I was never interested in their work; I just thought space was beautiful,” senior Angel Elizondo said. “I grew older; I realized how much I disliked the job an astronaut does, so my goals shifted into something more my style, like helping people.”
Elizondo knew his dream of becoming an astronaut wasn’t realistic, and once he grew up, he realized he didn’t want to be one; he just really enjoyed space and its beauty.
“Now I just want to be a common police officer and hopefully a hero and inspiration to kids and teens, maybe even some adults, if possible,” Elizondo said. “I was no different than most as a kid. I loved staring into space and watching videos on how pretty the universe is. Even now, I love it!”
“I wanted to be a doctor when I was little. Growing up around the stigma of being in the medical field was my main goal and still is to this day, as I am pursuing that career in real-time,” senior Jessica Anguiano said.
Anguiano wanted to be a doctor when she was a kid, and as she grew, she continued with that goal and realized what type of medical profession she’d be best at.
“My mind has changed as I’ve gotten to grow up and learn about myself and know what I can handle, but as well as I got more educated and more understanding of the medical world and the vast majority of professions, I learned what was best for me to pursue: a pharmaceutical scientist,” Anguiano said.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to be a lawyer. I always found it very interesting and appealing, especially because I always watched shows like that, and my dad always wanted to be in law enforcement,” Lizania Rodriguez said. “It was an idea that I grew up with because I would hear it from others and watch it on shows, but now that I grew older, I would like to pursue something in the medical laboratory science field. I want to become a medical laboratory scientist.”
When she was small, Rodriguez was inspired by her dad, close relatives, and shows, but as she started growing, she realized law enforcement wasn’t for her, and she realized her true love for biology.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be many different things: a doctor, a teacher, and maybe even a singer. I was inspired by what I saw around me or what seemed exciting at the time,” Michelle Verdin said, “but as I got older, my interests started changing; I realized that I loved being creative and helping people feel good about themselves, and that led me down to looking for careers that focus on beauty, self-expression, and helping others feel confident. Now I settled on being a cosmetologist.”
Verdin had many interests and knowledge of different jobs, but once she grew up, she knew she wanted to help people feel confident.
“It’s not about a simple job anymore; it’s about making a difference in people’s lives and doing something I love,” Verdin said.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer, but as I grew up, I realized that was a little girl’s dream,” Yulaisy Muñoz said. “I now want to do something that I know will make me happy and would be able to help me learn new things every day.”
Muñoz would like to pursue a career in which she learns something new about humanity every day and enjoys working.
“I’ve seen many jobs and have understood that not every job fits everyone, and that’s ok. I now want to be a psychologist because I want to be able to help others. Everyone, including those suffering, deserves everyone to live at their fullest potential,” Muñoz said.
“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a surgeon and help save lives, but as I grew older, my mind started to change about being a surgeon because I didn’t think I would be able to handle the guilt of not being able to save all my patients.” Maria Garcia said.
When Garcia was a kid, she wanted to become a surgeon, but she stopped going for that dream because she knew she didn’t want to deal with the guilt that came with it.
“Now, I want to study forensic science and become a forensic science technician.”
