I have known what I essentially wanted to do for a career since I was in middle school. My vision blurred only slightly at various points in my three and a half years at college, but my dream was never far off.

The thought of my name appearing under a printed headline sends all of those fluttering butterflies from my stomach to my heart and then twists down my spine all the way to my toes. I don't want to do anything else. I just want to write stories. Not the type you read in 500-page novels, but the type that are printed in newspapers. That's what I'm passionate about and God damn it, I'm going to do it.

Recent grads complain about how there's no work regardless of the field. Older generations warn college students about it too. And you've heard it just as much as I have, newspapers are dying. So yeah, I know I may start off in print and end up online. I know I'm not going to making anything close to millions, and I'm okay with that. I'll be turned down a few times by various publications, and that's okay too. I'm not going to get my dream job right after college. That's a-okay.

I know I have passion and I know I have the drive. As far as I'm concerned, that's a lot more to have in comparison to others my age or even those already in the field. Older generations, the ones that will likely be hiring me, notice these qualities. And they notice these qualities in myself so I won't let the fall backs of my chosen career dissuade me from following my dream.

You can tell me there is no available positions, but that won't stop me from sending out my resume. You can tell me that newspapers are dying, but that won't stop me from applying. You can tell me that no one trusts the media, but that won't stop me from writing. You can tell me 'better luck next time,' but that won't make me lose sight of what I want to do. No one can take my dream away from me and no one is going to convince me to give up.

You don't have to aspire to be a journalist. The same goes for any college student in any field. Find your passion and don't let others tell you you'll never make it or convince you it's stupid. As far as I'm concerned, the most important goal in life anyone should be chasing is happiness and if you're stuck in a nine-to-five job you hate, you'll never achieve life's greatest goal. If you think happiness isn't crucial to life satisfaction, you go get that nine-to-five job that you hate walking into everyday and let me know how you feel in 20 years.