Marrying your Passions with Practicality by Bryne
Bryne currently works at GE Aviation as a Ceramic Matrix Composite Material Behavior Engineer. All views are her own.
You just graduated high school; freshman year of college is about to start. Problem is: You don’t know what to major in or in my case what you actually want to major in won’t pay the bills. It’s crazy to think that we are supposed to have our whole lives planned out at 18, but surprise surprise of course you don’t, at least I didn’t. With the rising costs of a college education and student loan debt soaring out of control, the pressure is on to chose a major that will actually give a good return on investment.
Being the daughter of medical professionals, there was no way my parents were going to allow me to do something that would not be practical or financially feasible. Even when l suggested Astronomy, my dad promptly told me to take a telescope to the back yard because I could watch the stars for free. So when I settled on (Undecided) Engineering, I thought my problem was solved, as I had always loved science. However, with the stress of an engineering curriculum coupled with homesickness and drama in my social life, I was starting to question if engineering was truly right for me.
My true passion has always been literature and creative writing, as I had been published at a young age and had won a national writing contest (2009 Go On Girl! Aspiring Writer Award) that previous summer. While struggling over calculus I was really wondering: Am I really willing to sacrifice my passion for a career that, although will pay me well, keep me spiritually unsatisfied. I told my parents about my possible major change expecting to hear the disappointment. Instead my dad sent me a New York Times article about a man who practiced engineering for 20 years before going back to school to receive is PhD in English Literature and even went on to become a professor in English. This realization that I could go on and become a successful engineer all while finding ways to pursue my passion really changed my outlook. I realized that I didn’t have to choose one over the other and that really I could pursue both. Therefore I decided to minor in English and married my love of engineering with that of writing and became a technical writing tutor in the College of Engineering, all while eventually graduating with a BS./M.S in Mechanical Engineering.
Therefore, it’s completely fine to have doubts about your college major but it’s important to understand that college is a time to explore your passions even if you don’t end up ultimately majoring in them. You can and should major in a field that will be financially stable without sacrificing your passion for Art or the Humanities. With the rise of college tuition, finding a stable post-college career while finding other ways to pursue your true passions is a good compromise. For me my time at IOWA provided me the opportunity to explore my love of acting by performing in a play, continue my love of music and violin by performing in the University Orchestra, and finally fulfill my ultimate passion of the written word by getting my Minor in English. College offers many opportunities; it is up to you to realize them!
Bryne attended the University of Iowa where she received her Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
