Ever since I was a freshman in high school, I studied communications. I’ll never forget the first day that I stepped into the television studio and control room and knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life there. The lights and cameras (and action) were so compelling and there was a certain type of rush that I felt whenever we went on air.
I spent all of high school learning the ins and outs of editing film and shooting on cameras. Editing footage was something that felt second nature to me. I spent my time making music videos, public service announcements and short commercials. I found myself spending extra hours editing and felt proud of the packages that I was producing. I always said to myself, if I could do this for the rest of my life, then I would be one happy girl.
When I got to college, I knew there was nothing more that I wanted than to continue in this field. I kept thinking, “Wow. If I have loved something for this long, then it must be what I spend my life doing.” I ran Cabrini’s newspaper, The Loquitur; I was an on-air anchor for Cabrini’s sports show on LOQation News; and I even was a teaching assistant for a video editing class. I loved it all. Every single second of it.
When it came time to find an internship for this summer, I was so determined to continue in the field that I loved. I wanted to shoot film, edit video or do what I thought I did best … write. When an opportunity came to intern in a different field, I was extremely nervous. I had no idea what to expect. I spent the past seven years doing something that I was passionate about and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to take a break from it, but I told myself one thing: I would not let myself get comfortable.
Life is all about taking that leap of faith and welcoming new experiences with open arms. Why couldn’t I intern in finance? Why did I have to stay exactly where I was and not expand my skill set? Taking an internship in a different field has been one of the best things that I have ever decided to do. I realized that I did not need to be scared to try new things and that I can have a passion for something and still try something new. The best part? When you take a leap of faith, you might just learn something new about yourself. That is the beauty of new experiences. They by no means have to replace your current passion, but they can be just as good.
So, go ahead. Branch out. Keep all of your options open. Never say no. And above all, do not get comfortable. The best things in life happen when you step out of your comfort zone.
You never know what the next chapter of your story will hold.