Thank you so much for this great post!!! I’m currently a high school senior, going through the college application process. All throughout my life, I had vague ideas that I wanted to be rich, famous, accomplished–but I never knew what it was I REALLY wanted to do. I would dabble in every possible interest and I think I went through a phase for every career on the planet, but none of them lasted, and I never knew what I was passionate about.
Then, in September of last year, I signed up to be an intern on a presidential campaign. I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought it might be fun. Well, within a week of starting, I fell completely in love with it. I loved the energy, I loved feeling like I was making the world a better place, I loved working with people. What’s more, I turned out to have a real, natural talent for the work, and before I knew it, people were praising me every day, saying I was the best intern they had. I had NEVER experienced this before, so it was pretty amazing to realize I was naturally good at something that I also loved.
I knew right away that I had found my “calling” in life. In December, the internship ended, but I hung around. In the summer, I volunteered full-time, and I volunteered as much as humanly possible when school started again. I started reading books about politics, watching political shows at every opportunity, and reading political blogs every day. I fully endulged the political junkie inside me and gave everything I had to my internship, every day. I had always dreamed of attending an Ivy League school, but I found myself gravitating more and more towards Georgetown, with its political focus, and that’s where I applied EA (I’m still waiting to hear the results).
I fully agree with what the OP says. Find your passion and just let that define your life. Max out for what you love. I had the time of my life for 14 months. I met some absolutely amazing people, both the great friends I worked with and the unbelievable politicians I got to meet. I had once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like volunteering at the last presidential debate, where I met some of my political heroes and my favorite TV personalities. And I found what my purpose in life was. I chose doing what I loved over many opportunities that might have helped me get into college, but I don’t regret anything and I know I made the best decision of my life.