A For Real Interview

I interviewed about 15 high schoolers today as a favor to a cousin. It was part of a curricular activity she developed for her students at the Academy of Technology program where she is a teacher. They prepared a resume, dressed appropriately and came to the interviews as if they were applying to a real job. Since I'm retired, I made up a company. I was an independent film maker and it went over pretty well, since they are all using computers to create an animated video for the rest of the school.
These students were wonderful. They were smiling and honest (I hope) and most of them have a pretty good handle on what they would like to accomplish in their lives. One of the questions I could ask them is, "What is your biggest accomplishment to date?" Many of them answered "staying in the academy." They have to maintain a certain grade point average and have good attendance. For many, this is first time in their school careers, they have found teachers who are strict, fun, interesting and stimulating. How proud should this school be for accomplishing such a task. Most of these kids are dual language speakers, and did a fine job at English while at home most parents speak only Spanish.
My favorite story of the day, if I had to pick one, was the last young lady who introduced herself confidently, handed me her resume, and waited patiently for me to read it. The interests listed were art, music and sports. I asked her what she wants to do with her life. She told me she was going into medicine. She told me she wanted to go to Oxford. I asked her about her interest in science, the body, new medical technologies, the updates on the latest communicable diseases. She told me she was going to be looking into all of that.
I asked her if she is enjoying the video the class is working on now, and her eyes lit up as well as her smile, and a tiny dance played in her voice as she said, "YES!"
So who's telling you you need to go into medicine?
She kept with the line that she really is interested in it. I told her it wasn't ringing true with me.
So she did admit her older sisters are in the medical field. I asked her if her mother told her she needs to be in medicine. She told me, "my mom supports my art."
I think she had her answer to what she should do with the rest of her life.