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I Want to Be a Giraffe When I Grow Up
No dream is too big
I recently watched a promotional video for a high school career fair where preschool-aged kids were interviewed about their future career plans. An adorable 3-year-old stole the show. When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, the little boy paused momentarily and then confidently answered, “a giraffe.”
That was a fun surprise that triggered a chuckle from everyone, including the cameraman.
As a youngster, I had a slightly more traditional career goal than the cute giraffe-loving preschooler— I wanted to be a teacher. Using dolls as my students, I spent hours preparing lesson plans, writing in the grade book, and planning fun art projects.
I started college as an Education major, but during my sophomore year, an elective psychology course changed my entire plan. I was fascinated by human behavior, especially the unusual aspects, and left elementary education to become a clinical psychologist.
Therapy and teaching have a lot in common, so although I never worked in an elementary school, I have done plenty of educating and instructing. I occasionally had my own classroom teaching undergraduate psychology courses — a perfect blend of my interests.