The dooming questions that all rising seniors contemplate has to do with their future in higher education. What do you plan on majoring in? What do you want to do for a career? How will you invest in your success? This time is extremely stressful but the best advice one can be given is to explore.

As a current senior who is looking into each option that is available to me, I feel that it is necessary to inform any curious underclassmen to investigate all opportunities. The impending search to decide what occupation aligns best with your interests is painful. It’s an experience I am familiar with. I am lucky enough to have discovered a path that I hope to venture into. I had to gather my qualities and search for a path that would make me the happiest. I know that I am a helpful person and I work well when I am surrounded by others with a structured approach for each task. My cousin had informed me of a program that aligns with these qualities. She guided me towards the FBI. From there I found that I could participate in the FBI Teen Academy. At first I was hesitant to apply because I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in or I wouldn’t like what they had to offer, I was advised to just apply. 

I am forever grateful for this advice because my experience with the FBI Teen Academy Program was priceless. Through this participation in the academy I have made wonderful friends and connections and I have learned so much about the world that I now see myself working within. Now I have a path in my life I would like to follow and with ambition and courage I feel as if I would fit right in. 

I also decided to interview another senior at Wantagh who has experienced his own internship. I had the opportunity to speak to Aditya Pasricha who gave a passionate and insightful point of view of his encounters with an internship. Pasricha traveled to Stony Brook University for a month for about 6 hours a day. There he collaborated with other interns to research different forms of cancer and the effect of protein cells on the different cancer forms. To me this is incredibly impressive but also makes me wonder if I’m doing enough to shape my future. If this seems similar to how you feel, don’t stress. Pasricha took a step in the direction that he felt was right for him. He claimed “to be iffy on whether he wanted to do something in the medicine area of study.” But over time he discovered that he “could use this knowledge and research to combine into something [he] already enjoys.” This is a perfect example of what an internship entails. It’s the experience that counts. 

Pasricha stated that he wasn’t sure where he was headed with this internship at first, but after the participation in this study was over, he found a new path that he created for himself. This is a common occurrence for many young entrepreneurs who want to build their own path and not confine themselves to a path someone else had built for themselves. Pasricha also gave some advice for anyone looking into internships. He suggests, “being open minded and looking into a little bit of everything. You really won’t know what you like unless you try it.”

This guidance from Pasricha is extremely helpful and I completely agree. Similar to my experience at the FBI Teen Academy, I met with many people that shared the same interests as me and had guided me to figure out what I wanted to plan my life around. Seeking out an internship or experiences that align with your interests is extremely helpful if you are unsure on how to enhance your resume or discover a future career.