My future. What do I want out of life? Not what my parents want me to do, but what I want to do. I have so many plans for the future that I plan on fulfilling. So many of my peers are confused, unsure of what their future will be or what they want it to be. But I know.

Just because I am still in high school does not mean I don't know what I want to do. In Grade 8 I decided that I wanted to work with children. I love to babysit and be around children. But I also wanted to do something in the medical field. Medicine and science has been an interest of mine since I was young. So I put two and two together, and decided that I was going to become a pediatrician. I am currently in grade 12 and pediatrics is still my dream.

So many people have tried to discourage me along the way. To become a licensed pediatrician it will take me 12 years. "12 years?!?! You're crazy, why would you want to do something that long?" is a familiar saying when I am asked about my plans after high school. Unlike some of my other classmates, I am doing what I want to do, not what's the easiest. It's not about the money or how long I will be in University, it's about building a future for myself and my family. I don't want to do something because it is easy. I want to do what makes me happy.

What else do I want out of my future? More than anything I want to stay in Newfoundland. I don't want the "brain-drain" to continue. I believe there are so many opportunities in this province for people, but they go unnoticed. People have to realize that these opportunities are not always going to jump out at them, sometimes you have to look for them. Why would anyone want to leave our beautiful province? This is my home and I want my children to call Newfoundland home as well. I want them to grow up in a place where they are free to run and play. Newfoundland has a great future if people would sit up and take notice. We are a very rich province, we always have been. I am not leaving.

My future is the most important thing to me. I know what I want and I'm going for it. I'm doing exactly what appeals to me. And I am very excited. I can't wait until I can look back and proudly say I achieved my goal, my dream, my passion.