The first thing my mother asked me when I told her my dream to attend a fashion school in New York City: “Do they even have a football team?” Although our parents love and want the best for us, sometimes it is hard for them to understand that choosing our career is our own decision.

Maybe a dream job is untraditional, but with a determined and motivated mindset, I firmly believe anything is possible. It is very easy to give up hope when teenagers’ parents doubt their kids’ career path. Teenagers begin second–guessing themselves, thinking that maybe it’s better to focus on landing a more financially secure career. However, finding the right career is not about how much money one will make, but about the passion and drive. After deciding one truly loves something, it’s time to focus on the compensation that path will provide. Obviously, it is important that people are able to support themselves in the future, and it is completely understandable when parents worry about their childs’ livelihood. However, is it fair for a parent to be more proud of his or her child for having a conventional, less enjoyable career?

According to sophomore Shayna Reznikov, it is crucial that parents support their child in whichever path he or she choose to forego.

“They drill things into my head, mostly negatives, and it makes things hard,” Reznikov said. “But I also want to make my parents proud of what I chose to do later on in life.”

With this in mind, a good way to compromise with worried parents is by agreeing on majors and minors. Many times it is better to majpr in something unspecific, so it’s not so difficult to choose a new career path. For example, majoring in business is versatile for many jobs.

I wish I was interested in something much more practical, but I cannot control my passions. I think it is important to be flexible and explore various career options, but in the end, what we choose to pursue is our decision.

Senior Alexa Ott has experienced this lack of support first hand.

“My parents think that if I followed my career decision, I won’t make any money,” Ott said. “They are pushing me to take classes I do not want to take. I believe that you should do something that will make you happy in the future.”

I’ve always wondered if parents are trying to live through their children, and maybe that’s the reason they have a hard time accepting the career their child wants to pursue. I understand if they want to prevent their child from making the same mistakes they made, but when do they cross the line? We can only be ourselves, and the important people in our lives will understand. Freshman Cody Kipley understands the importance of having unconditional support of parents.

“Parents supporting your career decision makes everything easier,”Kipley said. “It gives you more opportunities and helps you find your future.”

No one can predict what the future will hold, no matter how conveniant it would be. All one can do is be confident and work hard enough to accomplish his or her dreams. Even though it seems easier to give up, one day teenagers will be able to prove the people who doubted them wrong and they will finally be content in knowing that they are happy.