I was at church last December when an older man asked me what I wanted to be someday. I said confidently, “I’m studying journalism at Goshen College.” He chuckled. “Are you going to write a book or what?” he asked me. I concealed my irritation and laughed. I didn’t bother to explain that I wasn’t drawn to reporting or even book writing, but loved the strategy and problem-solving of public relations and marketing and ultimately hoped to pursue that as a career path. 

If you asked me right now what I wanted to do in the future, that’s what I would tell you. But if you asked me on a deeper level, you probably wouldn’t want to listen after the first 15 seconds. For the majority of my college career, I’ve been lying about my hopes and dreams for a vocation. Although, I’ve struggled to truly explain it without sounding a little crazy. 

How do you tell someone that you would love to do everything? Yes, everything. All at the same time. If I were to write a list of my hopes, it would look something like this: freelance writer, content marketing specialist, blogger on food, fashion and travel, yoga instructor, Airbnb host, fashion stylist, and vintage reseller 

And the list goes on…

I know there are only seven days in a week and 24 hours in a day. It’s just not possible. Plus, my taxes would be crazy. 

But the point is, I do not want to limit myself in any way by the hopes and dreams that I have for myself. 

I know that I appreciate variety and do not want to be stuck doing the same thing every day. I know that I don’t want to throw all of the things that I love into “hobby” categories and I know that I want to be able to experience joy and purpose in my work. 

To me, this requires taking risks, finding opportunities for success and failure. 

Studying journalism at GC has instilled in me a confidence to pursue these possibilities on a level that is difficult for me to explain — and I get a little bit emotional thinking about it. 

Journalism requires: strong written and oral communication skills, follow-through, attention to detail, courage, integrity, vulnerability, social intuitiveness, and collaboration 

The art of journalism and everyone who has encouraged me in it has given me the foundation I need to be successful and more. Whether I end up juggling everything on my list or just a few, the endless cycle of planning, interviews and deadlines has taught me that I can achieve the things I set out to do. 

In early August at Float Fest, a music festival in Goshen, I sat next to a family friend at a picnic table next to the Millrace Trail. As we sipped our drinks, she told me that career paths are not linear as people say they are. She said that her career was all over the place, and that could be a good thing—even when you don’t know your way and feel lost. 

I had heard this sentiment before, but for the first time, I believed it and the thought freed me. 

In David Brooks’ book “The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life,” Brooks writes that “often people feel a call but don’t really understand it, or they forget the call or just wander off. It’s only later that they make up a neat linear narrative of their life to describe how they took the road less traveled.”

He continues by describing vocation as a holy endeavor. 

He writes, “It feels mystical, like a call from deep to deep. But then the messy way it happens in actual lives doesn’t feel holy at all; just confusing and screwed up.” 

I am here to say that I want to make mine as messy and nonlinear as possible, beginning with my urge to add to the list and never subtract.

Sadie Brenneman is a senior journalism major with a marketing minor from Goshen, Indiana.