Dreams offer clarity. This past week, ISM has managed to seep into my dreams and sleep, providing insight into a potential career field. I have had many dreams about lifting off the ground, in either a helicopter, rocket, or balloon house (inspired by UP). Ever since, I have been curious about aerospace engineering and lifting off the ground.
Although my dreams planted the thought of studying aerospace engineering in my head, Mrs. Martin-Leslie has had the biggest impact and influence. Her guest lecture offered clarity and valuable advice on how to combine interests, passions, and talents, and how those overlapping areas would offer the most fulfilling career, rather than having to settle and decide what was more important, your skills or your passion or your personality. Mrs. Martin taught the class more how to harness your personality and passions to make you successful in fields that center on your natural talents or inclinations.
More than anything, it was really inspiring to listen to Mrs. Martin talk. She is beyond passionate and gives off such a warm feeling, where everyone just feels more confident and inspired to take control over your dreams and have the confidence to make them come true.
This past week has been the initial little step in the journey of ISM. We had to choose a guiding quote and I ultimately decided to use “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” This quote really hits many passions of mine. I thrive to experience new things and explore new sights and unfamiliar places, but at the same time, I have a tendency to be fearful of leaving my comfort zone - creating this awkward area where I cannot experience any real fulfillment unless I do something out of the ordinary, but I am afraid to do something out of the ordinary. I suppose that it is the adrenaline rush I life for. The thrill of learning new things and broadening the horizon, and also the legitimate rush of endorphins from doing something scary or thrilling. The quote also addresses a constant frustration of mine: societies lack of attention to things not directly involving them or surrounding them. Not gonna lie - I do this too, but exploration for the sake of exploring is one of my biggest beliefs and recently many people only explore if it directly benefits them with money or resources and so on. I personally believe that curiosity leads to innovation rather than necessity. That is why this quote has a lot to do with the career of aerospace engineering and its related fields.
Back to aerospace engineering. The next upcoming week should bring some experience with public speaking, mentor search, and learning interview skills.