ePort Post #2

Recently, I changed my mind about something big

During my undergraduate education, I was certain I wanted a Master’s in Social Work. Helping others had always been something I wanted to pursue outside of school. My parents work with foster children and growing up in this environment really inspired me to enter into this field. Studying abroad last semester really shifted my perspective on the world. I enjoyed traveling around the world so much I never realized I could pursue that in my career as well. As for social work, the emotional toll, job prospects, and my shifting interests made me reconsider. Eventually, I realized my path may lay elsewhere.

Returning back to the States, switching my major to IDS just months before graduation was not easy. Social Work was all I had known and worked so hard to understand the past 2 years of college. But I realized my desires were elsewhere. My passion to travel the world, meet new people, speak, read and write were all things I wanted to incorporate in my future.

What good this change brought was something I never expected. IDS requires all students to complete a senior project and e-portfolio. Over the past couple of months I have worked extremely hard to create the portfolio I'd always dreamt of. I have a 5 episode podcast that is in the process of being produced and this is something I would've never done if I hadn't switched to this major. This change doesn’t limit me to a single field of interest. I still intend to incorporate social work into my future, just in different ways than I originally expected.

Hostel view in Interlaken, Switzerland

Harderkulm hiking trail in Interlaken, CH