THE DIRECTION AHEAD  •  ARTICLE NO. 3

By Greg Hoyt

Why helping students understand who they are may be just as important as helping them decide what they want to become.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

It’s a question nearly everyone hears during childhood. At first, the answers come easily. A firefighter. A veterinarian. A professional athlete. A teacher. An astronaut.

But as childhood gives way to adolescence, the question becomes more serious. By the time students approach college, they’re often expected to make decisions that could influence the direction of their lives for decades.

Which college should I attend? What should I major in? What career should I pursue? How will I support myself?

These are important questions. But perhaps there’s another question that deserves just as much attention, one that should be explored before, during, and even after those decisions are made.

What am I naturally drawn toward, and how might that help me build a meaningful future?

It’s a question that could change the way students approach their education, their careers, and ultimately, their lives.

Choosing a Major Isn’t Necessarily the Same as Finding a Direction

Consider a student entering college at eighteen. They’re intelligent, capable, and eager to succeed. Their parents have encouraged them to pursue a degree that offers financial security. Their academic advisers have helped them understand the requirements of several programs. After weighing their options, they select a major. On paper, everything looks promising. But there’s something they may not have explored very deeply.

What genuinely interests them? What kinds of activities make them lose track of time? What problems do they enjoy solving? What abilities come naturally to them, even when they don’t recognize those abilities as particularly valuable? And perhaps most importantly, what kind of contribution would they find personally meaningful?

These questions aren’t necessarily answered by choosing a major. A major provides an academic path. A calling provides a sense of personal connection to that path. The two can complement each other beautifully. But they aren’t automatically the same thing.

A student might excel in business administration while discovering that their greatest satisfaction comes from mentoring others. Another might study communications and discover an unexpected talent for helping small businesses tell their stories. Neither student necessarily needs to change majors. They may simply need to recognize how their education can serve something that matters to them.

What If We Helped Students Explore Their Calling Earlier?

The word calling sometimes suggests a dramatic revelation, as though everyone has one predetermined purpose waiting to be uncovered. But discovering a calling doesn’t have to work that way. Often, it begins with something much quieter.

A student notices that classmates consistently ask them for help organizing projects. Another discovers that designing presentations is more enjoyable than delivering them. Someone else realizes they love explaining complicated subjects in ways other people can understand.

These may seem like ordinary observations. But they’re clues. And when students begin recognizing patterns in their interests, abilities, and experiences, those clues can point toward meaningful possibilities.

Calling begins with recognizing what draws you. Direction emerges as you explore where those interests and abilities might lead.

But personal discovery doesn’t always begin with excitement or enthusiasm.

Sometimes it begins with dissatisfaction. A student may recognize that certain activities leave them feeling exhausted, disconnected, or unfulfilled, even when they’re perfectly capable of performing them well.

That realization can be just as valuable as discovering something they love.

There’s an important difference between being tired because you’ve worked hard at something meaningful and feeling drained because the work itself holds little personal significance.

Learning to recognize that difference can help students identify not only what they’re good at, but what kinds of activities give them energy, satisfaction, and a reason to keep learning.

That distinction matters. Students don’t need to have their entire futures figured out before choosing a major. In fact, expecting that level of certainty could create unnecessary pressure. But imagine the value of giving them opportunities to explore these questions early—and continuing those conversations throughout their education.

Rather than simply asking, “What career do you want?” We might also ask, “What kinds of work make you feel engaged, useful, and interested in learning more?” The answers could open doors students didn’t even know existed.

The Classroom Can Become a Place of Discovery

Colleges and universities already do important work helping students prepare for professional life. Career centers, academic advisers, internships, mentorship programs, and experiential learning opportunities provide valuable guidance. The opportunity isn’t necessarily to replace these resources. It’s to connect them more intentionally with personal discovery.

Imagine a classroom where students are encouraged to explore not only what they’re learning, but why certain subjects, problems, or opportunities resonate with them.

A marketing student might discover that their interest isn’t primarily in advertising products. It’s in understanding people and communicating ideas that genuinely help them. A technology student might realize that writing code is less exciting than using technology to solve practical problems for local businesses. A student studying athletics or exercise science might discover a passion for helping injured athletes regain their confidence and mobility.

Each discovery provides another piece of the puzzle. And when students begin connecting those pieces, education becomes more than completing assignments and earning credentials. It becomes part of discovering who they might become.

A Fictional Classroom With a Real-World Question

This idea sits at the heart of the contemporary novel, Brighthaven Bay.

In the story, Chase Carter returns home to a small Pacific Northwest coastal town after years as a successful advertising and marketing executive in Seattle. He eventually teaches a college Digital Communications class where students consider their interests and the possibilities of today’s digital world.

Rather than starting with platforms, business models, or technology, Chase invites his students to look more closely at themselves.

Through classroom discussions and experiences beyond the classroom, students begin examining their interests, recognizing abilities they’ve overlooked, and questioning assumptions about their futures. Some discover possibilities connected to interests they’ve carried for years. Others begin to reconsider directions they once believed were settled.

Others recognize that an overlooked interest or ability may deserve a closer look.

The tools matter, but they become more useful when students have a meaningful reason to use them.

Although the classroom is fictional, the questions it raises are very real. What might happen if more students were encouraged to understand themselves before being asked to commit to a particular professional identity? And what might happen if that exploration continued throughout their education?

One of the ideas Chase encourages his students to explore is the difference between activities that drain their energy and those that leave them feeling engaged and fulfilled. Sometimes a student discovers a promising direction by recognizing what comes naturally. Other times, the starting point is realizing that a particular path simply doesn’t feel right.

Both discoveries can provide valuable clues.

Today’s Digital World Makes Exploration More Accessible

Today, students have more ways to explore interests and build experience before making long-term commitments.

Today, the possibilities for exploration are considerably broader. A student interested in graphic design can develop a portfolio and share their work online. Someone fascinated by storytelling can experiment with writing, podcasting, or video production. A student who enjoys helping others understand difficult subjects can create educational content. Another who loves landscaping can explore digital design tools, document outdoor projects, or develop a website showcasing their ideas.

Students can also explore their interests through internships, volunteer work, student organizations, apprenticeships, and projects that address real community needs.

Not every experiment will become a career. Nor should it. The value lies in the experience.

Students can discover what they enjoy, what challenges them, what they’re willing to work hard to improve, and what they might prefer to leave as a hobby. They can begin developing practical skills while learning more about themselves. And perhaps most importantly, they can discover that an educational or career decision doesn’t have to be a permanent declaration of identity. It can be a starting point.

Five Questions Every Student Deserves the Opportunity to Explore

Whether students are preparing for college, choosing a major, or approaching graduation, these five questions can encourage meaningful reflection.

1. Which activities energize me, and which leave me feeling drained?

Unprompted interests can reveal activities that provide genuine satisfaction. They may offer clues about subjects worth exploring more deeply.

2. What do people naturally come to me for help with?

Pay attention to the activities that leave you feeling interested, engaged, and satisfied, even after considerable effort. Notice, too, the activities that consistently leave you feeling disconnected or depleted.

Both experiences offer clues. The goal isn’t to avoid difficult work, but to recognize the difference between challenges that feel worthwhile and activities that rarely bring a sense of fulfillment.

3. What problems do I find myself wanting to solve?

Some people are drawn toward creative challenges. Others enjoy organizing complexity, helping individuals, improving systems, or solving practical problems. The kinds of problems that capture our attention can tell us something important.

4. What would I like to learn more about, even if it never became my career?

Curiosity can be a powerful starting point. It creates opportunities to explore without the immediate pressure of turning every interest into an income-producing activity.

5. What small step could I take to explore one of these interests in the real world?

Reflection is valuable, but experience adds clarity. A conversation with a professional, a volunteer opportunity, a personal project, or an internship can reveal possibilities that aren’t obvious from a course description.

These questions don’t produce instant answers. They’re meant to begin conversations—and encourage students to keep asking, exploring, and learning.

Parents Have an Important Role, Too

Parents naturally want their children to succeed. They want them to find stable employment, become financially independent, and build satisfying lives. Those are reasonable hopes.

With the best intentions, parents can sometimes focus so closely on practical choices that there is less room to explore what genuinely interests their children.

The goal isn’t to abandon practical considerations. Financial realities, employment opportunities, educational costs, and personal responsibilities all matter. The opportunity is to balance those considerations with curiosity and self-understanding.

Instead of immediately asking whether an interest can lead to a good-paying job, a parent might first ask: “What is it about that activity you enjoy so much?” Or: “Have you thought about talking with someone who does that professionally?”

A conversation like that can help a young person feel supported while encouraging them to think realistically about their options. Sometimes the most valuable thing a parent can provide isn’t an answer. It’s the encouragement to explore.

And What About Students Who Have Already Chosen?

There’s another group that deserves attention. Students who have already selected a major. Graduates who have already begun their careers. And adults who have spent years following a path that no longer feels quite right. For them, the question of calling and direction can be just as important.

Discovering a new interest doesn’t automatically mean abandoning everything they’ve accomplished. A degree, professional experience, and previously developed skills can become valuable building blocks for a new direction.

A business graduate might discover a passion for education. A healthcare professional might become interested in creating resources that help patients better understand their conditions. Someone who has spent years in a traditional occupation might find satisfaction in mentoring younger people entering the field.

Direction can evolve. And sometimes, the experiences that initially seem unrelated become the very things that make a new opportunity possible. It’s never too late to ask whether the path we’re following still reflects the person we’re becoming.

An Opportunity to Build Upon What Education Already Does Well

This isn’t an argument for replacing academic rigor with personal reflection. Students need knowledge, discipline, technical skills, critical thinking, and exposure to the realities of professional life. Nor is it a suggestion that every student must discover a single, lifelong calling. People grow. Interests change. Opportunities emerge. But perhaps personal discovery deserves a more visible place alongside traditional academic and career preparation.

Imagine students entering college with a growing awareness of their interests and strengths. Imagine professors encouraging them to connect course material with problems they genuinely care about. Imagine career counselors helping students explore not only which jobs match their degrees, but which opportunities might align with their abilities and aspirations. And imagine parents supporting that exploration with both encouragement and practical guidance.

This does not require reinventing higher education.

It can begin with better conversations, opportunities to experiment, and encouragement to connect academic learning with personal interests.

Perhaps We Should Begin With a Different Question

For generations, we’ve asked young people what they want to be when they grow up. It’s a familiar question, and an understandable one. But perhaps we can expand it.

Instead of asking students only to choose an occupation, we can encourage them to discover their interests, recognize their strengths, explore possibilities, and understand how their education might help them contribute something meaningful. Their answers may change over time. That’s part of growing.

And sometimes, the most important discoveries don’t happen when someone hands us a carefully mapped-out future. They happen when we’re given the opportunity to explore one for ourselves.

Perhaps the question isn’t simply, “What do you want to be?”

Perhaps it’s, “What kind of life do you want to build—and what might you discover about yourself along the way?”

A Next Step: Explore Your Own Direction

If these questions resonate with you—or with a student, family member, or colleague—the complimentary Alignment Workbook accompanying Brighthaven Bay offers a place to begin reflecting on interests, strengths, and possible directions.

The workbook is not a test and does not promise a single perfect career answer. It is an invitation to ask thoughtful questions and take a small step toward greater clarity.

Greg Hoyt

Author – Brighthaven Bay

The Direction Ahead is a bi-weekly series exploring work, purpose, technology, opportunity, and the possibilities of building a life that leads somewhere meaningful.