Carson Foondle - White Cloud High School

Growing up, an abundance of adults have given me advice on which career paths to get into and which ones to avoid. I’ve heard scenarios of people who hate their job with a burning passion, but nevertheless work through a grueling eight-hour shift to pay the bills and support their family. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I’ve heard of situations where a person absolutely loves their job. Their work is galvanizing to them and they adore being on the clock. For me, I would like to be placed in the latter category. I want to enjoy what I do on a daily basis.

Finding a career path that interests me would be the next task. I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of different landscapes throughout my childhood. During my late elementary school years, my family lived in Orlando, Florida. In Florida, space science was quite a talking topic. Thus, I thought that I would become an astronomer as that job involved mathematics, science, and computers, three things I was fascinated with. However, my family moved back to West Michigan as I entered sixth grade and as time went on, my perspective on space slowly declined. Over the course of my teenage years, my hobbies and interests shifted drastically. I began to develop a passion for distance running. Also, finance particularly piqued my interest. Yet, I couldn’t quite place my finger on the occupation I wanted. The first set of people I’d look to would be my parents, who were both teachers. We’ve had numerous discussions about how working in education isn’t a bad gig. I remember them telling me about how you can be a key role model for several kids of the next generation. Not to mention, the time I would get to spend with my own kids in the future. So, entering high school I believed that I was going to follow in my parents footsteps and become a teacher.

Still, something just didn’t quite click. I felt that teaching was just a bit off for me. To describe it best, the job felt like getting a “B” on an exam. You’ll take the grade, but it’s not exactly what you were looking for. At the time I realized this, my dad had just become a school business manager. We’ve had conversations about his job and I feel this occupation would be something that I would enjoy. This job would tie my interest in finance and distance running. I could work as a school’s business manager and simultaneously coach both Cross Country and Track & Field! As of today, this is the job I envision myself doing over the next few decades. My plan is to attend Muskegon Community College next fall to continue my athletic career and pursue a degree in finance. In the future, I hope to stay in West Michigan and become a school business manager.