Hometown:
Misawa, Japan
My Story:
Coming to BYU, I thought I wanted to be an engineer. But through taking the Career Exploration course my freshman year, I realized that helping people one-on-one is really important to me, and decided to Major in Exercise Science. I’ve been Pre-Med for most of my time here at BYU and have recently been considering a career in Physical Therapy.
Favorites:
Book: Honestly anything written by Brandon Sanderson
Movie: Emperor’s New Groove
Food: Sushi
Animal: Do dragons count?
Color: I like blue and I look best in green
Does Pineapple Belong on Pizza?
Yes. It’s delicious. Nuff said.
Boring Facts About Me
I’ve driven on the left side of the road more than I have on the right side.
Hobbies
- I’m really into snowboarding. Few things compare to the feeling of shredding untouched slopes of deep powder. I have many fun memories hitting the slopes with my dad over the years so I think boarding will always have special meaning to me.
- I love reading, which is something I get from my mom. Whenever I have a break there’s a good chance you’ll find me in a corner reading some fantasy/sci-fi novel. If you’re looking for a good book I recommend Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson.
- Music has also been a big part of my life. I don’t have as much time for it now in college, but I dabble a bit in violin, piano, guitar, and singing.
Exploration Experience
When I came here to BYU, I thought I wanted to be an engineer. I enjoyed and did well in STEM classes in high school so I thought it would be a good fit for me. But through the Career Exploration class and job shadowing an engineer, I realized that while I would probably do well, an engineering career wouldn’t provide me the sense of purpose and job satisfaction I was looking for.
After a lot of introspection, career assessments, and meeting with Exploration Specialists, I was drawn to the medical field. I’m now Pre-Med and going to start preparing for the MCAT this summer.
Why is Exploring Important to Me
Life is so full of possibility and opportunity but the only way to reach it is to know it’s there. Exploration is the way that you can broaden your view and see options you haven’t considered or haven’t heard of before. I find that self exploration in particular is meaningful because it helps to figure out your interests, strengths, and values. I had a really hard time figuring out my path so diving deep into what makes me “tick” was essential. Exploring is also a great skill to have because it never ends! Exploration is a process, not an event. In my case I still have to decide on a medical school, residency, and specialty so I have a lot more exploring ahead.
Looking Back
If I could give advice to a younger me, I’d say to start exploring ASAP. The idea of looming important decisions was so stressful that I would just put it off because I didn’t want to have to make a decision. But once you really get started, learning more about yourself and the potential paths available to you can be both fun and rewarding. And if you don’t know how, that’s okay because BYU has so many resources that students can take advantage of.
Another thing I would say to anyone exploring careers is that job shadowing is very helpful. It’s one thing to read job descriptions and watch videos about a career, but seeing what a job is like with your own eyes can make a difference – it did for me.