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Composed by my 24-year-old self circa 2013
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Realizing our Full Potential
Roxy Rolle
"When
I grow up, I want to be..." When we were younger, our parents used to
finish this sentence for us. In second grade, I answered this with "Teacher".
Clearly, that defied what my folks wanted me to say--they wanted me to be a
doctor.
In
college, I chose a communication course. At the time, my parents still wanted
me to be a doctor but (1) they could not afford Medicine School, and (2) I do
not have the guts to gut people.
Nonetheless,
they were content with not having a doctor of a daughter as long as I graduate
on time sans being a teenage mom. I gave my parents that--and a few medals upon
graduation.
With
a bright resume, many expected me to enter publications, advertising, and
journalism. Once more, I was deviant of their expectations. I am not in any of
those fields.
"When
I grow up, I want to be..." and "After graduation, I will
be..." have long been standards of career success. While those might
have worked in the past. That is no longer appropriate at present. Those two
only prematurely define the youth to shape themselves into available
professions.
Children
who want to be engineers are motivated to excel in Mathematics. Those who want
to be doctors need to be good in the Sciences. Aspiring writers have to build
their portfolio early. These are stereotypes. In many ways, forcing kids into
stereotypes limits the youth from realizing their full potential.
We
live in an age where job titles are as varied as the multiplicity of mobile
phones and gadgets. As such, we no longer have to make ourselves fit into a
profession (if I want to be an engineer, I have to be good in Math; etc).
Rather, professions are now available to fit our expertise. Thereby, all that's
necessary is to ensure that we become the best of who we can be--not because we
have to be but because we want to.
I
used to define myself as a writer. Since I was young, I take pride in my
command of the English language. Now, I am 24. I am not a writer by profession.
I tried. Financial constraints moved me to choose other more lucrative options.
Seven months after graduation, the corporate arena became my resolve in a young
industry called BPO.
BPO
is enjoyable, fresh, innovative, global, and relatively dominated by young
executives. The youthful energy is exciting and inspiring. It feels like
school--yet this time, people pay for my ideas.
For
me, BPO is where I found equally excellent yet uniquely brilliant people
working for diverse goals. Above all, what I appreciate about this field is
that I need not define myself based on my skill or profession.
Yes,
I can fairly write. Yet my career's success need not be measured anymore by the
by-lines embellishing my name. I now find fulfillment in seeing our share of
ideas be transformed to daily innovations.
I
used to feel bad about leaving the newsroom. Now, I understand that writing is
my skill. Ideas are my unlimited resources .... and BPO is a new avenue that we
all shape and continuously define. I have found BPO as a free-thinkers' Utopia.
I
hope more jobs and industries like this develop. This way, kids of our era need
not force themselves into stereotypes.
Let's
get excited in this new age where the only ending to "When I grow up, I
want to be..." is "a person whose full potential is
realized".
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