Most teens are choosing medical career paths such as a doctor, surgeons, or personal trainers.  Many students begin their academic career with common and general career goals or aspirations, often teachers or veterinarians. As they grow and are exposed to more opportunities they change and narrow down their aspirations. The wide variety of medical careers all have one common denominator; to help the public and improve society. This draws in students because they see how professionals help our world improve every day. Making this positive impact on the world easily intrigues students, and leads them to setting these challenging goals for themselves.

Teen’s most common career choices involve helping and serving the public to improve upon the future.

Senior Ivy Thompson plans on becoming a dietitian, someone who helps improve the public’s nutritional health. Thompson said, “…seeing the threats that obesity and heart disease hold in our future influenced me majorly.”

Student’s career aspirations rely predominately on their environment and what they are exposed to throughout their life.

“About two years ago my dad had back surgery and just seeing the nurses that took care of him and helping him get back to health really inspired me,” said junior Mackenzie Moroney, who has since planned on becoming a nurse.

Students are often exposed to medical jobs when they are young, whether it be from television programs, Halloween costumes, or going to regular doctors visits themselves.

Sophomore Grace Donner has wanted to be in the medical field her whole life, and is hoping to learn more options within the field as she pursues it. She said, “I have wanted to since I was young because that was one of the first jobs that were introduced to people as children.”

Some students aspire to the medical field because it proposes challenges throughout the course of the career, from college to every day life as a doctor. It interests kids from a learning standpoint.

Donner said, “I want to do something in the medical field because I’m interested in math and science, and I want to help people and interact with them.”

Students tend to lead toward occupations with positive personality connotations. Careers that have successful and kind workers draw in students.

Moroney said, “To be a nurse you have to be good with people because people are your job.”

As students progress throughout school, their aspirations often change a number of times to adjust to their changing views and interests.

“In elementary school I wanted to be a veterinarian. At that point I wanted to because I just really liked animals, but I didn’t realize what it meant,” said Thompson.

Many teenagers desired careers fall under a common umbrella, but rarely are found to be identical. Students are shadowed by the idea of their future and they become at ease when they decide their goal. A common goal is an occupation in the medical field to feel the gratification of helping the public and improving upon society for the generations to come. Students build this interest off of what they know and how they wish to improve the world. Our teenagers are our future, it’s important they have a strong drive to make it a bright future.