At Missouri State University (MSU), students show that dedication can go well beyond the classroom. While finding passion can be challenging, it can motivate students to pursue their goals.
Senior Mindy Welland said she has dedicated her time in college to pursue her passion for photography and film.
“I was interested in it at a very young age, using my dad’s old camera,” Welland said. “Then, I originally went to college for something else, and then I decided to be an undeclared major to try out art classes.”
Finding work in the art field can be challenging, but Welland said if someone is passionate about a subject, they can find a way to succeed.
“If I didn’t do what I was passionate about, I would be so bored and tired of doing anything else,” Welland said. “If it’s something you’re passionate about you’re going to find work.”
Welland said her dedication to photography serves as the driving force, even when the road ahead seems unclear.
“It’s going to drive you, and it might drive you up a wall, but it’s gonna drive you to a place where you can find ways to make it sustain your life,” Welland said.
According to a survey conducted by Colleen Flaherty for Inside Higher ED, 80% of students reported that college helped them prepare for a career that they feel passionately about.
Senior Jonathan Petroski said he has a dedication to both fitness and wildlife conservation.
“You have to find a way to make time for both,” Petroski said. “The main thing I do is I like watching wildlife documentaries, and then I usually talk to friends. Then at the gym, I make sure I’m consistent.”
Passions can develop at a young age and lead to a lifelong commitment.
“I grew up watching National Geographic and Steve Irwin,” Petroski said. “Before that, I used to be into paleontology, because I liked dinosaurs and Paleolithic animals. But then, fitness is more of a secondary passion.”
Sophomore Ramone Green said football became his passion when he realized the camaraderie that came with the sport, eventually leading to years of dedication.
“A lot of sports are individual, and you can do things on your own, but football is such a team sport,” Green said. “You got to bond with your brothers, and you always got to count on somebody else, and someone’s always counting on you.”
Commitment to a passion can influence other aspects of one’s life.
“When you’re passionate about something, it makes it easier to wake up early,” Green said. “It makes it easier to go to practice and endure the hard things that you go through.”
Green said when trying to find a passion to dedicate one’s time to one should explore different fields.
“If you don’t feel passionate about something try other things,” Green said. “There’s a lot of things in this world that you can find love in and find passion in, and don’t force yourself. Passion and love is something that you’ll find just by adventuring and trying new things out.”
