Impacts

Do you remember the intro narrative to The Vow? I can still hear Channing Tatum answering the question first posed in Rent: “how do you measure a year?” He simply explained, “in moments of impact.” It made sense for that character’s situation. His meeting the love of his life—an emotional impact. That car crash—a physical impact. Her amnesia—a life-changing impact.

I think I remember this definition so well because I have always felt like I can identify with it. For the majority of my life, I have been concerned with how I am going to make an impact. How am I going to affect someone else? Can I make a difference in the world? It’s a question that comes up when we discuss the purpose of our lives, as well. We all want to have some significance and purpose, and we work all our lives to find it.

One of the paths we take to determine that purpose is education. And I believe I have put so much importance in college for so long because of this. Education is the foundation we build our lives upon. We learn, not only about physics and history, but about ourselves—what we’re passionate about or what intrigues us.

Now that I am a senior, I’ve started thinking more about where I want to be in the end. Up until now, the goal has been college. But now that it is almost here, I have finally been able to comprehend how much more there is. As importance as this next step is, I’m starting to envision the step after.

Right now, knowing that I want to make a difference, I plan to join the Peace Corps. I want to get in the action and help first-hand, rather than just raise awareness or funds from thousands of miles away. Though Peace Corps commitments are only for a two-year term, I plan to bring the skills and knowledge I acquire there back to the States. I hope to pursue a major and career in global public health by working with getting medical advancements and technologies to countries than need it and the policies behind that. Since this is one of the opportunities offered by the Peace Corps Program, I can use that hands-on experience and apply it to the policy side. I realize how different things are in real life than they are on paper, and I think my first-hand knowledge of the situation could be a huge asset in the field.

For the past few months, thinking about this plan and my future has gotten me extremely excited. I feel this tingling in my nerves and muscles and there’s really no word to describe this drive and motivation I feel. I’m almost impatient to get out there and “change the world.” And I am even more excited to see what the rest of my peers will do. Our generation is filled with thinkers, dreamers, believers, and doers. And I cannot wait for the rest of the world to experience that.

So what are your dreams and plans? What do you want to do or change? Because I know someone as amazing as you has quite a few ideas and some impressive tricks up your sleeves. Your challenge: Reply to this post and tell the world how you want to make a difference!