Summer of senior year transformed my life. I was 18. My high school teacher recommended me to attend a summer program at Harvard University. It was by chance that I sat in on a linguistics class. The professor explained to us that linguistics was the scientific study of language and its structure. For example, why only humans have language, which area of the brain is used to speak, the idea behind bilingualism. I was mesmerized by every word that came out of the professor’s mouth because these were answers to questions that I always had as a child. I was comforted to find out that there were other people on this planet that cared about these kinds of questions. It was like running into a long lost friend. And this is how I found my passion in life.
I won’t lie. It hasn’t been easy trying to make a living out of linguistics. Most of the time, it’s difficult to make ends meet from something you’re passionate about. But that’s no excuse to give up.
Are you passionate about your job? I cannot stress it enough, but the only way to do great work is to love what you do. The best work comes from people who love their craft. I know that it’s not as easy as it sounds. I know this from personal experience. I also know that if you continue doing what you love and do not give up, there will always be a way. So never give up.