This essay is one of 35 selected by a panel of judges for “Ambitions Interrupted,” a series from The GroundTruth Project and YouthVoices, its storytelling platform.
Name: Ma. Jesusa Javier Torres
Age: 18
Dream job: Teacher
City, Country: Manila, Philippines
Current job/school: College student studying secondary education
Challenge: Financial difficulties
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
Everyone has an ambition, let me tell you mine. In the future, I want to wake up early in the morning – and not only for my family or to only earn a living. I want to wake up knowing that my students are their inside the classroom waiting for me, their teacher. Others say that becoming a teacher will not make me rich, but it’s not really about how much I’ll earn. I want to become a teacher because I want to inspire others. I will teach because I find teaching fun and because I love public speaking and. I’m sure that this is the only job that I want to do. I want to teach because teaching has its own priceless rewards. You will get to see future leaders – maybe the next generation of scientists, or maybe some of them will be inspired by me and choose to become a teacher, too. I want to teach because it’s more than just a job to me – it’s my calling. I will have the power to influence my students, to let them feel that learning can be fun.
But there are lots of factors that could hinder my dream. There are times when my family struggles financially, and other times I ask myself if I can really do it. I tell myself that maybe I’m not good enough, but I know that I will work hard enough to achieve my dream, no matter how difficult doing that is. I am currently studying secondary education at my university and I’ve realized that no words can describe the feeling of this passion burning in my heart. Being a teacher is my ambition. I am a future teacher – without limits.
This story was originally submitted to YouthVoices, a platform powered by The GroundTruth Project that encourages young people to share stories about the issues affecting their generation. Submit your own essays and answer new questions here, or learn more about global youth unemployment with this interactive map.