The Mycenaean

What do you want to be when you grow up? That is a question we have all undoubtedly heard many times before.  

Most of us can say that when we were little, we truly believed we could be anything we wanted. From a professional athlete, to a popstar, to the president, or even an astronaut, kids have big dreams. They tell each other on the playground that they will be rich and famous one day, and for all they know that is fully possible. 

“I wanted to be an actress or singer because the idea of riches and fame appealed to me as it does many kids,” said Marley Brunson, a junior at Leesville Road High School. 

Kids may also aspire to be like people they look up to in their lives. For example, teachers are often big role models for young students. 

In fact, according to a study conducted in the last few years, 13.7% of the elementary schoolers had aspirations to be teachers. 

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher because I’d had a lot of great teachers in my elementary school years,” said Charley Moore. 

“I wanted to be a chiropractor because I love my family’s chiropractor,” said Kathryn Deary, a senior at LRHS. 

“I wanted to be a speech pathologist because that’s what my mom is and I looked up to her a lot,” said Delaney Santre, also a senior at LRHS. 

Growing Up

While those dreams may come true for some, oftentimes those childhood goals change as people get older, and they realize their own passions, strengths, and weaknesses. The question “what do you want to be when you grow up” means something a little bigger. 

“When I was younger, I wanted to be an actress because it sounded like fun, and I was in the 4th grade musical. Now, my goal is to own a farm-to-table bakery and live on a farm. I could spend my life doing what I love,” said Erica Ostling, a junior at Leesville. 

She has stepped away from her childhood fantasy and created a new one, revolving around something she actually feels passionate about. 

“Now I want to be a forensic psychologist because I really want to help people and I enjoy the forensic part of the job,” said Deary. 

Just because you may not have the exact life you wanted when you were five does not mean you will not become successful and happy. Adult reality does not have to be a ruining of your childhood, just a change in perspective. In the aforementioned study, around 70% of 2,000 people said they were satisfied with their current job — and a larger sample size would surely wield a bigger number. Furthermore, people can always work to better their lives even more, whether that means going for a promotion or going back to school. 

Being in high school does not mean we are at the end of our journey figuring out who we want to be when we grow up. However, we have already begun to change our identity from who we were as children, starting with our ideas for our futures.