In eighth grade I had a substitute teacher who always gave us life lessons when she came in. One particular day in my English class, she shared why she became a teacher and taught us the difference between a career and a job. She said a career is something you go into because it’s a passion of yours, and a job is something you have because you need to make money. The former, she said, was true success no matter the salary or degrees it takes.

It’s common to measure success by wealth. We often think that the richer someone is, the more successful they are. However, I believe success is measured on so much more than a monetary value — to me, success is how much joy one carries. Ever since I heard that substitute teach us the difference between a career and job, I searched for what I was passionate about and ultimately discovered Occupational Therapy. Starting 2027, Occupational Therapists will be required to get their doctorates, which entails an additional three and a half years of schooling after undergraduate school. When I told my dad this, he told me I might as well become a Physicians Assistant because they make more money and it wouldn’t force me to change my college plan drastically. I thought about this idea for a quick second before remembering that I don’t want to go into O.T. for the money I would make but for the joy I hope to get out of it. I wouldn’t feel satisfied in life knowing I settled for a job that would put me in distress because it pays higher.

I also don’t believe success should be viewed on whether or not you attend college and which college you go to. Though I believe for some fields such as the medical field, one should search for the best education possible; I don’t think that it’s shameful for someone to attend trade school and pursue alternative pathways. I have a friend who has known for a while that she wants to go into cosmetology, but she’s hesitant to jump straight into it and miss out on going to college. She is constantly told that college is a pivotal moment of people’s life, so she has considered getting an associate degree, but she doesn’t really want to pursue it. College isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. A degree doesn’t always automatically provide success.