“God, what should I do? Should I change my major or stick with forensics?” This was one of many prayers I prayed this past July. I thought forensics would be more important work, but was that where I was called? After a week of intensely debating with myself on what I should do, I finally heard God’s answer. I realized that I had been harboring prejudices against the very vocation I was now hoping to become— a writer.
This past July, I changed my major from Forensic Science to Professional Writing and Information Design (PWID). My decision was prompted by my dread for the coming semester. My decision was further prompted when I thought of the mental toll working as a forensic scientist would take. After a stressful deliberation, I made the change. Going from a Bachelors of Science to a Bachelors of Arts is a huge jump. I grew up in a very medical household. My dad and three of my four sisters work in the medical field. Through no fault of my parents or my siblings, I began to think that science was the only way to make a difference in the world. If it was not science or medical, then it was obviously incapable of benefit. People who worked in the science field impacted the world; people who worked in business or communications did not. A forensic scientist could analyze fingerprints to catch or help convict a criminal, but what could a writer do that would impact government security? My comparisons went on. When I started considering changing my major, I asked my mom, “Can I make an impact on the world even as a writer?”
Her answer was profound, “Yes, and you make an impact on the world every day you are alive. We need writers just as much as we need nurses.” She told me that all careers aid the world in different ways. All the fields come together to create the society we live in today.
Slowly, my views on worth and importance began to change. Writers were not “stupid,” nor were they “unimportant” for not going into a scientific field. Afterall, their strengths are simply in a different direction. They are able to take complicated subjects, sensitive events, and hot topics and write them in a way that everyone can understand. Just because I was no longer pursuing a degree in forensics, does not mean I am lacking intelligence. Indeed, writing involves a different category of smarts: the ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and concisely with your readers. In addition, God used my attentive friends and family to help remind me that while I am capable of doing science, my interests and passions lie with writing, something I started doing in second grade and have kept doing since.
From this experience, God revealed to me my error, humbling me before Him and my fellow image bearers. While I cringe to even think that my former self thought other people were inferior simply because they were not in a STEM field, I am glad He shepherded me towards the truth. Occupations do not define someone’s worth. Everyone, no matter what their major is, no matter what their career is, is made in His image and likeness. We are designed for God’s glory, and how we are designed will lead us to our callings.
About the author
Marian Pope
Marian Pope is a sophomore Professional Writing and Information Design student who also works for Cedars. When not working on homework, she can be found beta-reading, plotting stories, and chatting with friends over a cup of coffee.
