I’ve decided I want to be a school counselor.

As of late June, I will have worked in corporate America for four years. By the end of November this past year, over three years in, I realized that the corporate environment is not for me.

I’ve always enjoyed psychology and understanding how nature versus nurture shapes our behavior. I was fascinated as a young child when my parents taught me the term ‘reverse psychology,’ and I excelled at behavioral science and psychology classes in high school and college. Now I find myself reading ‘Psychology Today’ in my free time. I realized I wanted to do something in the psychology and social work space.

Another factor in this decision comes from a challenging, health-related experience my family faced, the peak of which was my junior year of high school through my sophomore year of college. During this time, I was in survival mode, worrying about my family and praying we would stay intact as a unit. Over the last year, my family faced the same challenging circumstances again, and I realized life was too short to sit at a desk for nine hours a day doing something that wasn’t enjoyable nor fulfilling. I determined I wanted to work in the mental wellness space.

I also sought help from licensed therapists and psychiatrists to process this experience. I found myself researching their methods, advice, and treatments, for information beyond my own personal benefit. I realized I wanted to be a counselor – mental health, family and relationship, or children.

When I moved to Baltimore, I got involved in the community simply to be an engaged neighbor and establish a community for myself. I spent time getting to know my neighborhood – restaurants, shops, churches, parks, events. I’m engaged in my neighborhood association and local politics. I had been wanting to volunteer formally for some time, and serendipitously, through the minister of the church down the block from my house, I was introduced to an organization called Thread. Thread was started by two Johns Hopkins graduates some years ago, and the organization connects kids at city high schools with local residents to establish mutually beneficial partnerships. Thread and its volunteers believe that true wealth is social connection and true poverty is isolation. Through working with Thread and being an engaged resident of Baltimore, I started realizing that I wouldn’t be fulfilled unless I was connecting with and supporting people, even just in my small corner of the world.

Finally, throughout my life, I’ve naturally held counseling-type roles. I’m an older sister and cousin. I was one of the “older kids” in my tight-knit neighborhood growing up. I served as a mentor to incoming freshmen throughout high school. I was captain of sports teams and held leadership roles in my sorority in college. I coached college freshmen women through sorority recruitment, unbiasedly helping girls evaluate and transition to sorority life. I’ve spent a few years mentoring undergraduates in my alma mater’s business school.  I was lucky enough to receive that kismet suggestion to join Thread. I work well with kids, and it all clicked.

This feels like a natural fit, and I’m thrilled to start formal education in the field. I want to be the person telling a kid everything from “what you’re going through is hard, and there are people and resources here to support you” to “there are endless possibilities after graduation, let’s see which one works best for you.” I don’t know how much of a difference I can make in the lives of kids, but I know I have some natural ability there and I’m committed to trying.