Open Doors

Hi, my name is Tate Rodriguez, and I am twenty-eight years old. I am the editor in chief at Teen Vogue Magazine. You’re probably thinking, “What in the world is this old lady doing here?” Well, you’d be surprised, especially since I was in the same position you’re in now. You’re not interested in school, and can’t see the point in attending. I sat in the same seat and listened to someone tell me about their experience. It changed my life, and that is why I’m here today.
When you picture yourself in eight to ten years, what do you see? Are you a lawyer, a teacher, a firefighter, or a nurse? Are you a scientist or engineer? Can you imagine any career without an education? Of course not! No matter what you do in life, you’ll always need the tools, whether it be knowledge or training, to succeed in your career. For example: If you wanted to become a soldier in the military, it is required that you graduate from high school and complete basic training. If you wanted to become a doctor, you would need to complete at least ten years of education beyond high school.
Let’s say you decide that high school just isn’t for you. Can you still make a living and survive? The answer, is yes! If you started out as a grocery-store bagger, you could work your way up the job pyramid to become a department manager. However, this is uncommon for most, but not impossible. Another route you could take, would be to become an apprentice in a skilled occupation. Be advised, that both these options still require learning and a specific background of knowledge to advance.
If you have already made up your mind, about what you would like to do in life, then you need to come up with a game plan on how to reach your goals. The first step, is to finish high school. From my own experience, I can tell you that finishing high school opens up more doors and opportunities than dropping out. For me, my writing skills carried me through school and I didn’t think that a diploma would matter either way. After I made the choice to quit high school and move on, I soon figured out that without an education I was nothing but a hamburger-flipper. It didn’t take me long to realize, that I needed to graduate from high school. It was the key to having a brighter future.
Once I had the diploma in hand, I found a jumping off point. I started out at The DeLand Beacon writing obituaries and reporting on school board meetings. Exciting stuff, right!? Not exactly. With hard work and determination, I worked my way up to having my own by-line. That’s a huge step, because now people knew my name. This didn’t happen over night, it was a long and sometimes boring progression. However looking back now I am proud of myself for sticking it out. My biggest accomplishment, was an award-winning article about teens at DeLand High School.
After my story got published, it went viral. I had inquiries from other editors around Florida, as well as from Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. Eventually, I made the biggest decision of my life, when I decided to move to the Big Apple. Now, I live in a very expensive and very small apartment in the city and work for Teen Vogue Magazine. My dream job!
The last thing I’ll leave you with, is my motto. It’s by the famous, Emily Dickinson. “Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.” Keep your doors open.