Youth Quote Search

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“So once I get that degree and graduate from Southern Miss, because they have a graduate program for social work, and it’s like highly recommended in Mississippi, I’m going to pass the licensure exam the first time. And then I’m going to work in my desired area. Like with social work, you can be a social worker in the hospital, in a school, in a nursing home; like you can be a social worker anywhere. So I’m not sure what I want to do yet, but, yeah.”

• Pathways
• Steps and stages

“Finish college, try to go into the military, become an officer in the Marines. My goal is 4 to 6 years in the military, depending on how it goes, and then go back to college. If I [don’t] get into college, the police academy and become a police officer, and 12 years or more of being a police officer and then transfer to the FBI and be an agent.”

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“All high school you are trying to search what do you want to do. What future career do you want because they are hounding you. Then once you get to college, it is oh you only have so long until you can’t change your major anymore and you have to do extra credits, so it is a lot of planning and searching to find out what you really want to do that will make you happy.”

• Describing Identity
• Race, ethnicity, gender, culture

“Greek Orthodox slash not really because like my family is religious, so like I’m not really. I don’t go to church, but don’t identify as like an atheist, so…“

• Perceptions of the term 'career'
• Understanding Job/Work/Career

“Drive.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

“Happiness [will be important to me at 45.]”

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“My sister went to college for business as well and actually completed it but never pursued business as her career. She just took the classes because they were available and affordable at the time. Today she does something totally different than what she went to college for. She works at a hospital today as a receptionist. I’m not sure why, but she does love working her job. She always has the ability to go back to college if she ever wants to do something else or she can always take up business as well as she already has a degree in [it].”

• Describing Identity
• Race, ethnicity, gender, culture

“I put female, Cuban-American and Catholic. We’re not really like a Spanish typical family. I don’t speak Spanish. My relatives all speak English to me. We don’t eat Spanish food…I just am not in the Spanish culture. I am Spanish, but I guess it is more American because I am here and my family doesn’t really push that on me, Spanish. My parents speak Spanish, but I don’t. I wish I did, but I don’t.”

• Describing Identity
• Race, ethnicity, gender, culture

“[Being female] It seems like there is a stigma to it. It is going to be harder. Yeah, I think it has some [real stigma]. I don’t think it is as bad as people make it out…But there is some.”

• Pathways
• Steps and stages

“Doctor, Ph.D…I want to be a doctor. I have people say you are going to give up – being a doctor is so hard. They get paid so much money, and they are not really happy. That is what I want to do. I want to make those people be like oh she actually did it, and she is happy doing it.”