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When you’re a kid you are always asked two 

questions: The first is always, “How old are 

you?” Easy enough to answer, but then comes 

the hard question: “What do you want to be 

when you grow up?”

I can tell you my answer to the first question, I 

am seven years old. I can even tell you the 

answer to many other questions such as my 

name is Sally, my favorite color is blue, and my 

favorite food is mac and cheese. But when it 

comes to what I want to be, I have no clue.

One day, my first grade teacher Mrs. Keller 

came in and wrote the dreaded question on 

the board. “What do you want to be when you 

grow up?” She looked at us all and waited for 

someone to raise their hand.

Michelle raised her hand first, and we all 

knew what her answer would be. “When I 

grow up I want to be a famous figure skater!” 

Michelle had been skating since she could 

walk so she had it easy when it came to 

knowing what she wanted to do.

“That’s great Michelle! Now class, 

some of us know what we want to 

be when we are older, and some 

of us don’t which is okay. But for 

the next week we are going to 

focus on this question and see if 

maybe we can find some things we 

might like to do.”

Mrs. Keller went on to say that we would all 

think of one option we might like to do, and 

then at the end of the week all of our families 

would be invited to see us do a presentation on 

the career we chose. We could pick something 

based on a hobby, something based on our 

favorite subject in school, or just one we 

thought looked fun.

After school I met up with all of my friends and 

we talked about this new project. We were all 

trying to help one another figure out what kind 

of career they should choose. 

For some of us it was easy. 

Marie was the best at science 

and she always was wanting 

to try new experiments, so 

she should be a scientist. 

Frida loved to draw and 

paint. Her mom used to 

get mad because Frida 

would always mess up 

her new clothes. Now 

Frieda just wears a 

smock everywhere she 

goes because she never 

knows when inspiration 

will hit and she will have 

to start creating.

After we talked for a while I went home. That 

night at dinner I told my family about our 

project. They all tried to offer suggestions but 

none of them felt quite right. Nothing felt right 

for days. By the time it was Wednesday I was 

becoming seriously worried. 

Many of my other friends 

had already figured out 

what they would be good 

at. Clara loves taking care 

of others and isn’t easily 

grossed out so naturally she 

is going to be a nurse. Joan 

is part of a military family 

and she wants to be in the 

military just like her parents 

and older siblings. 

Only a few of us were still unsure, so we stayed 

after school to talk to Mrs. Keller. “Well girls, 

let’s think about things you are good at.” 

Oprah was the first to speak, “My mom told me 

I should be a news anchor because I talk so 

much but that just seems so boring Mrs. Keller! 

I don’t want to be boring!”

Mrs. Keller thought for a second before 

suggesting that Oprah would be a great talk 

show host. That idea was very exciting to 

Oprah and she ran out of the room already 

talking about fashion to a fake audience. 

After Oprah left just myself and Laura 

remained. Mrs. Keller told us to try thinking 

about adults we look up to. “That’s it Mrs. 

Keller! I want to be like you, I’ll be a teacher!” 

exclaimed Laura before she too left the room.

Mrs. Keller and I 

thought about it for a 

while but no 

suggestions felt right 

for me. After a while I 

had to go home for 

dinner. Mrs. Keller told 

me not to give up just 

yet, but I was still very 

discouraged.

That night, I laid in bed and stared at the glow 

in the dark stars on my ceiling. I love the stars 

and planets so much…just like an astronaut! 

That’s what I will be!

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