Rejection.

Rejection doesn't mean it’s over, even when it feels like it is.


Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to help people. I went through wanting to be a veterinarian, a pediatrician, and a general doctor before finally realizing that my true passion is optometry.

"Why be an optometrist?" "Why not just go to medical school?" Simple. I don’t want to be a general doctor, I want to be an Optometrist. Excuse my geekiness, but the eyes are extremely fascinating.

Anyways, with only about 22 Optometry schools in the country, I think it's safe to say that it’s pretty competitive. The past two years have brought me more rejection that I would ever wish on anyone. After two application cycles, one interview, and nine rejections, I feel like I should be able to handle it. Unfortunately, that's not really the case. This round of rejections feels more like a stab in my heart as opposed to the kicks in the stomach the first time around. I wish I could say that I still have high hopes of going to optometry school, but it's starting to seem like more of a distant dream than a career goal.

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The past week has given me a lot to think about and figure out. Going back and rereading what I wrote above, I can't believe how close I was to giving up.  Luckily, I have an amazing support system filled with my family and friends to keep me going. Without them there is no way I would be able to continue my efforts to become an optometrist. In no way have these rejections made me calloused to being rejected and I hope it never does. As much as the rejection hurts, this hurt gives me more reason to work even harder the next time around.

I know what I want with my life. I know I have to work hard to get there. I’ve taken some time to come to terms with it all. I refuse to let this round of rejection completely knock me down when none of the others have. One way or another, no matter how long it takes, I will reach my goals.