When I was a little girl, whenever I was asked the notorious question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I would always take a moment to think seriously about the question that made my stomach turn.

How was I supposed to know what I wanted to do? I can recall constantly asking my parents what it would take for me to realize what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and how I would know if it was the right decision. There was even a moment in time when I could count on both hands the jobs I wanted to do.

The adults would just laugh at my response with raised eyebrows while my peers would just give me dirty looks.

I was always so fascinated by so many different subjects and ideas, it didn’t seem feasible to choose one given direction, especially since it would be my career forever. Forever is the word that really scared me. Every hobby that I signed up for including gymnastics, painting, sculpting, karate, violin, tap, and ballet, I had always quit. My interest was never held for too long.

I guess I’ve always been a sucker for the temporary and trying new things. However, writing, watching movies, and reading always held my attention. Growing up, I would write my own short stories, scripts, and research journals. In the meantime, my mom constantly read to me, which gave me the outlook that reading always took me places.

Even though I was 8 years old and was questioning life way too hard, I had always wanted to grow up so fast. My mother warned me that it wasn’t all that it was wrapped up to be and told me to just slow down and enjoy my childhood, but I couldn’t just shake the thought of the future. The future has always been a thought that had me thinking late at night.

I never really thought of money being a factor until I grew up. When I was a student in high school, I kept hearing lectures to go for a career path that’s going to make you money. Of course, all the girls around me wanted to get a degree in the medical field with the hopes to buy all the Michael Kors bags that they could possibly fit in their closets. It briefly crossed my mind to want to become a radiologist so that I could financially support myself.

I even downloaded apps that allowed me to study x-rays. I then found myself beyond bored and knew I would not be able to hack such a lifestyle. I wanted to be on my feet and do a job that I wouldn’t mind going to every day. I wanted my career to be a passion of mine, but what was that passion?

In the meantime, I started involving myself in my high school’s theater program. My freshman year, I pushed myself to be in the spring musical as a part of the ensemble. Even though I was just a brick in the road in The Wiz, I discovered something new about myself.

I developed an affinity for being a part of a production. I realized that no matter how small the part is, every part and minuscule detail is just as crucial as the larger parts. A production simply requires patience, dedication, and passion for the final product to be a masterpiece and I knew at that moment that I possessed those qualities.

I had that desire to be a part of the production process for the rest of my high school experience, so I ended up auditioning for the Theater Academy, with the support of my family. Mind you, I was never talented in singing which is why I was always cast as the ensemble in the musicals and plays. Around this time, I started to express my artistic side a bit more.

It wasn’t around my junior year until I had a mere idea that I wanted to emerge myself in film-making. My mom kept reminding me that when I was little, I was mesmerized by movies such as Labyrinth, Legend (1985), Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland. She claims that I was in a trance whenever I watched the movies on the screen.

When she made that point, I had realized that my passion lied within watching movies and I found myself becoming more intrigued with movie-making. When I told my friends the news on what I wanted to do in life, I could hear the judgment coming from their throats. I didn’t care what they had to say anymore because I finally found what I was destined to do.

Now in my sophomore year in college, I still feel the same way, but even more determined. Back in my second semester of my freshman year, I even took up a creative writing course, which resulted in me considering a dual major with the writing arts. During this entire process, my family has patted my back and cheered me on.

Without my mom’s upbringing, I wouldn’t be the spunky, creative individual I am. Without my dad, I wouldn’t be persistent and strong-willed. Without my family supporting and believing in me, I wouldn’t be achieving my dreams head on. Thank you, mom and dad, for guiding me along the way and for being my forever inspirations.