It was that really short public service announcement by NBC that kept popping up before, during, and after The Cosby Show that made me want to get educated. I mean I didn’t really understand why I was learning my multiplication tables until I started having to do calculations in my head when buying Big Bopper magazine at Coles. But now so far down the line I realize how important it is to have knowledge to be able to survive – and work. In fact it’s the essential thing for us as adults to have some knowledge, because little kids are smarter and smarter. They ask more and more difficult questions and we should, technically, be able to answer them. After all, isn’t that the point of being an adult? To be able to answer little kids’ questions?

If I look at my life before and after “Grad Life” – I see so many changes. Before my graduate life, I didn’t know which direction I was headed. I had an idea, but I didn’t have it pinned down. After all of the research, reading, writing, toiling, working, and traveling around that my grad life has been comprised of – I finally have come to a point where the direction that I am headed is becoming more and more clear. Not to say that I’m seamlessly falling into the arms of my perfect future career path, but more like I know what I want to do. It’s just a matter of finding the right kind of funding for it in North America, because we haven’t caught up to the rest of the world (i.e. Europe, Australia, Asia). Throughout my grad life I’ve developed an affinity for looking at, preventing, and responding to cyberbullying through creative, innovative, educational tools. I didn’t quite know it before. I grew up wanting to become a ballerina, then a fashion designer. Parts of me still want to be dancing in point shoes and designing haute couture.

Then, in grade 3 I wanted to be an actress. I guess everything changed when I put on a finger puppet show before my classmates. Everyone was so surprised that I was the one making all the voices, that nearly half of the class came to ‘check’ behind the ‘stage’ to make sure it was actually me holding up the puppets. Guess I was kinda a shy one. I do kind of do some acting with kids and teens now. I direct them as they’re acting out. In fact I’ve directed a few short films as part of my work. Directing and screenwriting were also always passions of mine. I wrote a play at age 9 and the teacher gave me an A++.

So….

dear me in grade 3,

acting is probably not the exact path you’ll be taking.

neither is fashion designing, per se. although you will still be thinking of that many years down the line.

but i promise you this: you will love your career.

love,

nika in the future

Perhaps acting, fashion, and ballet should somehow be incorporated into my new career path, and that way, all of my dreams come true!

Any ideas?