At PCH tutors we understand that one of the most stressful decisions a student faces is deciding what to do after high school, and one of the most important things we can offer students and their families is our experience. So sit back and read this interview about how one our stellar tutors discovered her passion for mechanical engineering after obtaining a film degree.
Meet Carling M!
Can you tell me about your experience with school growing up?
Carling: I went to a very rural high school in Vermont. And while academics came relatively easily to me, I felt I was lacking in any real engagement from the faculty. Luckily, my parents filled in where my school fell short by taking me to museums and encouraging learning in our home. My mother is an English teacher and encouraged me to always be reading something. My dad fostered in me an interest in astronomy, which led to a greater curiosity in math and science. When I graduated from high school and packed up for college, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to study. My interests tore me in so many different directions, and somehow I landed on an undergraduate degree in film. A few years in the television industry gave me enough experience to know I had made a slight misstep, so it wasn’t long before I made the decision to head back to school to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Why do you think you landed on film?
Carling: Growing up I was always a pretty creative person, and that was a trait that was cultivated and encouraged both in school and at home. I always loved math and science, but everyone assumed I’d go into a creative field of some kind. Perhaps because of gender norms, it was assumed that a young girl with an affinity for the arts would go into the soft sciences. So at my university I just naturally fell into the creative path that led me to film, screenwriting and producing, specifically. Writing and creative thinking always came very naturally to me, and since it wasn’t a challenge, I thought it must have been right for me. But it turns out I really like a challenge. I think people don’t often consider how much the STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math) merges analytical thinking and creativity. It may sound strange, but it felt like a very logical transition to me.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Carling: I honestly think I would have benefitted from taking a gap year or studying at a community college before heading to a four-year university, in order to give myself more time to find my passions. I felt, like I think a lot of young students feel, that I had to hurry up and decide what the rest of my life was supposed to look like. That’s a lot of pressure for an 18-year-old who still has so much to learn about herself.
Do you have advice for students struggling with this decision now?
Carling: Society is going put a lot pressure on you to have it all figured out after high school, but don't succumb to that. Don’t be afraid to take some time to discover what you’re really passionate about. Some people know that they want to be a doctor before they even begin high school, but for some of us the journey is a little bit longer. I guess to sum it up: don’t be afraid of the uncertainty. Not knowing what you want to do with the rest of your life when you’re 18 is just fine. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I’m having a grand time figuring it out.
How can a parent help their students in their educational plan?
Carling: I think it’s important to give students the freedom to explore their interests. I think parents can engage them by giving them opportunities to turn those interests into learning experiences. It’s important to meet them where they are and be supportive of who they are becoming.
Carling has been working as a PCH tutor for almost a year and a half, and recently joined the PCH staff as our Business Development Manager. Carling, like all our tutors, has such an inspirational story. We want to make it clear to both students and parents that they are not alone in each academic chapter they’ll embark on in life. We at PCH Tutors hope that our experience, both academically and personally, will provide a meaningful and supportive environment in which to learn.
