Passion

My passion in life is the marvels of being in nature; to experience mother nature’s spectacles of creations. For as long as I can recall I was always outside playing in the trees. My earliest years were spent in the country; I never grew up in the city and I’m thankful for it because it developed my relationship with the land. Around March of grade 11, I was in need of a job. At that point I was looking for just about anything, but my career counselor wanted to know what my passions were. I stated that I love working in the environment. Never would I have thought I would have the astonishing opportunity to understand the animals mother nature harbors. During the summer I got the chance to work with amazing Birds of Prey. I always knew my passion was nature, but this experience moved me and gave me a better appreciation for the outdoors. “I know what I want to do for the rest of my days.” I vividly remember saying this to myself as I released a bird back into the wild. Though the experiences were rewarding, it was very difficult when I first began this journey. I was one of the youngest workers there and was still finishing high school while my co-workers were already pursuing their dreams in post-secondary. I thought to myself will I have the knowledge to help with this job, or am I going to sound foolish? Many thoughts rushed through my head and they plagued me greatly. I could’ve kept thinking this way, but I didn’t. I smartened up and I pushed myself to be even better than my other new co-workers. The result landed me in heaps of rewards and respects. By the time summer was almost over and the work season was ending, I built myself into a reliable, and hardworking character. My boss and other co-workers endlessly complimented me and it restored my hope in myself. I had the courage to do this, but sometimes I just need to hear it from others to really believe it.

-Grace No Runner