Before I discuss majors, I must admit that I see myself as a writer first and a bakery owner second. That being said, I have an ardent love of science and all things food, and one career path I plan to have would be able to combine the two. Firstly, I made sure to push myself by taking many Advanced Placement classes my junior year of high school in order to increase my GPA. This summer I will be working on getting a perfect score on the math section of the SAT in order to improve my chances of getting into my local technical college, Georgia Tech. I will apply to other schools in the area that offer one (or both) of the two majors I need to help me succeed.

The majors I intend applying for at all the technical schools are chemical engineering and food science. Though these may seem vastly different at first, I have learned there is quite a lot of overlap in these two fields of study. Both majors involve chemistry, and the former has an entire sector dedicated to the food industry. Acquiring at least one of these degrees will secure a well-paying job, as well as teach me essential skills and knowledge.

The United States, as well as other developed and developing countries, has an obesity epidemic that is spiraling out of control. Learning the ins and outs of food, their chemical properties, and the way they affect the body will build the foundation for my long-term goal. As a child, I wanted to construct and run a seven-story bakery, with a different kind of pastry or sweet on every level. Now, almost at the age of eighteen, I know that this is not practical nor beneficial to our current societal issue of being morbidly unhealthy. However, I still aspire to run a business in the food sector. What I have come up with is creating a bakery that uses superfoods and vegan ingredients. This way I can check two boxes of my aspirations list: having a bakery and providing people with healthier, environmentally sustainable, yet still deliciously indulgent, sweets.

With all plans, I made sure to have another. If running a business does not work out, then a chemical engineering degree will be my fallback. This major also has a sector involved in environmental science, my favorite type of science. Another issue we are having across the world—in more and less developed nations alike—is climate change and habitat destruction. If I could be apart of a company that tries to reverse or limit the effects of carbon and anthropogenic pollutants in our earth’s atmosphere, then I could be making a huge impact on our environment. Humanity has to improve all across the board, and I want to not only be a part of this improvement but also fuel it, one way or another.  

If the aforementioned plans do not work out, I would love to be a full-time writer. This profession is not entirely secure, however, and it would be irresponsible of me to pursue this whole-heartedly without any other goals or career plans. Also, if I am able to own a business or work in the science realm, writing could always be my side income (or fun hobby).

Changing the world may start with one person, but the dire state of our planet and society need an entire fleet of creative people inspired and invigorated to actually do something. I do not have time to waste; this is the only life I am given. If all my plans fail, if I attempt to make no positive change on our planet, if my name is just another word on a grave, then what purpose did I serve? Failure fuels me, inspires me, terrifies me. It is the feeling that has led me to where I am now, a published author with dreams I am complacent enough to discuss with others (how bold!). These aspirations are far, far larger than me, which is why I hold them so close and have such passion. I am not saying that I alone will end all of the world’s problems—that is so impossible that it is almost cartoonish to say aloud. No, I am just one individual in a sea of people striving for change. I am only as important as humanity’s yearn for a revolution.