My Last Year at Keene State College

My future after leaving Keene State College has been something that I have been terrified of since I became a freshman at this school in 2014. When I first arrived at Keene State I was determined to become a veterinarian. In case any body doesn’t know, becoming a veterinarian requires eight years of school and after you have racked up approximately $500,000 in student debt you have to do a residency at a veterinary hospital for another year.  Needless to say it sounds like a lot of work, but at the time I could not see myself doing anything else. I love animals, so becoming a veterinarian seemed like it was the perfect career path for me. After about two years of struggling in many difficult science courses, I realized that becoming a veterinarian was not for me at all. And after shadowing several veterinarians in the local area, I realized that veterinary care involves a lot more than just handling animals. Pets have owners and dealing with them can be a very difficult task. My love for animals has never changed, but my views of veterinary medicine definitely have.

As a child I grew up in a very conservative household where I was taught that financial stability is more important than your overall happiness. Although I feel lucky to have such wonderful parents, it has been very difficult for me to consider all of the possibilities when it comes to picking a career path after I graduate. My parents are unhappy with the degree I have chosen and they do not think that I will be capable of finding my way in this world with a BA in biology. Because of this, I feel like I have not been very open minded in thinking about what I can do with my degree. I am fearful of not being able to find a job or struggling financially.

I really want to make the most of my senior year here at Keene State. I have realized over the years that I should have more faith in my capabilities as a student and as a future biologist. There are so many different fields of biology that I can explore with my degree and I am excited to see what the world has in store for me once I leave.