My mom has worked as a replenishment analyst at Lane Bryant’s headquarters for over 25 years. Within those decades, I had the opportunity to go to Take Your Child to Work Day. I went with her four or five times by the time I was 12, and quit going when I realized I was the oldest “child” there. When I was younger, I didn’t realize what Take Your Child to Work Day and Career Day were. But now that I’m older, the logic is simple: as a child, if you see adults that are relatively happy doing something for work, you should want to be like them when you grow up. It seems simple, but once you grow up, the capitalistic system we live in says “You’re 18 and it’s time you make a decision that lasts the rest of your life.” For those of us who want, or are forced, to go to college, we have to decide what major we want. We think, “Well, I spent most of my time in high school doing music,” or “I guess I want to help people.” But we fear the commitment of picking a career that is supposed to satisfy us for the rest of our lives.Picking your major and being happy with it isn’t a final decision. According to a study conducted at Princeton, 70 percent of Princeton’s 2014 graduating class changed their major. Other studies report that over 50 percent of students change their major, generally. Clearly, young adults are uncertain as to what they want to study. This is why we need Take Your Child to Work Day more than elementary students. Allowing high school students and other young adults to see what they can do professionally could open the doors for many people and help take away a considerable stress in their lives. In 2012 at Penn State, 80 percent of freshmen students said they were uncertain about their major. Students have resources and tools to help them. Here at Capital University, Compass Leaders and Career Development both help students who are unsure about what they want to major in or pursue after graduation. For those of who don’t know, Lane Bryant is a women’s fashion retailer. Although I may not be as interested in putting together a clothing line as I was when I was 12, I may be interested in seeing what their human resources department is like.
