Written by Rachel Carlucci
After saying goodbye to friends when graduation passed, I spent my summer studying for the TEAS test to get into the nursing program. However, due to reasons outside of my control, I ended up missing the deadline to apply. After having a dramatic breakdown, my mom encouraged me to not give up. She encouraged me to take the semester off and to think about if I wanted to go to college for the spring semester. During this semester off, I took my time in getting a job and worked on saving money so that I could pay some way to college. I thought about what field of nursing I wanted to go into but then the thought dawned on me, “Was nursing the career I truly wanted?” I hadn’t been in school for half a year and I couldn’t see myself with that career anymore, because I lost interest and excitement in the thought of becoming a nurse. I told my mom about the second thoughts I was having about nursing and she suggested I look into something related to writing. I decided to take the spring semester off and turn the school year into a gap year.
In March of 2023, there was an emergency with my dad and I had to help in ways that felt very much like the role of a nurse. This traumatizing event convinced me that I did not want to be a nurse. I did what I could at the moment to help so my mom could get him to the hospital. My dad was in recovery after having an emergency surgery and eventually went to rehab.
During his time in rehab, it was difficult to hear how much pain he was in during his recovery. The nurses taking care of my dad were doing an amazing job and I, would not be able to express my gratitude towards them enough. This time I have impacted my family massively. My siblings were able to visit my dad in rehab. However, I was not able to due to working two part-time jobs. I missed my dad immensely because I hadn’t seen him for over a month.
One day, I picked up an old journal and started writing and before I knew it, I felt a strong urge to keep writing. My family and I faced a lot of challenges at the end of spring, and at this point, I felt as if I had grown up faster than I wanted to. My mom needed a lot of help around the house and I was doing what I could to help, but I was ignoring my needs. I ignored my mental health because I was around people who were making summer feel like fun, and I continued to tell myself that I was fine and happy when I wasn’t. My emotional state started to go downhill when I realized that my dad’s cancer would limit my time with him.
School was around the corner and I decided to pursue a career in Journalism. I was told by English teachers in high school that my writing was very well-developed and mature. I’ve always loved to write and feel as though this passion will stay with me. In the times I have watched the news with my parents before going to bed in high school, I have been inspired by the reporters and how confident they show themselves to be on camera. Watching Gilmore Girls during my gap year also strongly sparked an interest for me in Journalism. Rory’s character inspired me to see a light at the end of a tunnel. Since joining the Globe, I have been able to continue to work on my writing skills and there has been and will continue to be room for improvement. I believe that there will continue to be opportunities that come my way while I am a member of the Globe as I continue to pursue a career in Journalism.
