When I read the guidelines for this essay, I groaned out loud. Since I was 15 years old, people have been asking me how I see my future. The question is getting more relenting and pointed each year. It always bothered me. Because when I picture my future, sometimes I struggle to see exactly where I might be, exactly what I might be doing and who I might be doing it with. Over the course of my life, I've never been one to stress about the future. I was never the person that planted things out. I didn't even originally plan to come to college. When I was in high school, I thought I would end up in community college. I knew I had good enough grades to get into the majority of the schools I might apply to, but I just didn't know what I wanted to do. I thought when you don't know what you want to do, you go to community college. By the time applications opened up, I hadn't given going to college any thought, much less toward anywhere. But one afternoon, I applied to the University of Delaware with my guidance counselor and I never looked back. I figured, if I didn't know what I wanted to do at home, I could also not know what I wanted to do in Delaware. I didn't even apply anywhere else. It may have taught me the wrong lesson, but not planning things or not looking ahead works out. If you asked me to write a story about my ideal life, I would probably tell you that I'll graduate in 2027 when I'm 22. I'll get a good full time job shortly after graduation, I'll be married by the time I'm 26, and by the time I'm 28, I'll have my first kid. But I don't even know if that's what I want. Sure. It all sounds nice, when you look at it laid out in a great time line of life. It's the American dream. But I was never the kind of person that followed rules or guidelines or did things exactly the way you're supposed to in the order you're supposed to do it. In the prompt, I was asked, what can or should you do take action for change. I don't think anyone should do anything. Great change never started because a bunch of people felt like you should do something. Change really begins with people that are passionate about something who take action, not because they should, but because in their minds, they have no choice but to put their efforts towards something else towards something great. I'm passionate about pro choice causes. To be honest, I don't really know what I can do to take action for change. But because I'm passionate, I will always look for ways to do what I can.

I Don't Know by Olivia Powers

From Melissa Betau April 24, 2024

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Olivia Powers, a Communication freshman, challenges the notion of planning her future, considering how she came to her decision to attend UD instead of a community college. She believes change begins with passion and looking for ways to make change.

This audio recording was submitted for the Voices of UD 2024 audio essay contest for students, hosted by the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. The Voices of UD project is open for all to participate, but the annual contest is open to UD students only. The views and opinions expressed by the contest participants do not necessarily reflect the views of the University, its administration, or faculty. Learn more about the CPC's programs and initiatives at www.cpc.udel.edu. Visual editing created at https://app.wavve.co/.

Tags: voices of udaudio essay contest

Department Name: Communication
Date Established: December 12, 2023
Appears In: Voices of UD

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