What did you want to be when you grew up?

Crystal Bruce

Though, I'm not sure I've entirely “grown up” - when I was a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist like Indiana Jones. I took some classes in college, but it never amounted to anything. However, as an adult, I do make it a point to visit ancient relics a lot and admire them! Egypt is my bucket list trip. What about you? What did you want to be and why? (Question submitted by All-Star @Austen Brown )

Rachel Cavalier

@Crystal Bruce

I started watching Star Trek at a very young age and wanted to be an astronaut - I did eventually realise that I'd need to have a bit more physical fitness than I wanted to put the effort into for that, but the science still interests me.

Austen Brown

@Crystal Bruce - I wanted to be a Brain Surgeon. In my early-teens a family friend who was a Neurologist sat me down and talked through what it would take to be come a Neurosurgeon (undergrad, med school, residency, and everything else). It was all just too much, so for undergrad I majored in Music and History instead.?

Tineke Hage

@Crystal Bruce I wanted to be an attorney. I ended up in the military instead and then working in databases.

Allison King

When I was 5 I wanted to be a paleontologist. I was really lucky to live in NYC that year, super close to the Natural History Museum. My parents had a rule that I could only do one dinosaur room a visit and then we had to look at other things. Otherwise I would have stayed there all day. Then I got into Greek Mythology and ended up majoring in Classical Studies in college. So I went from really really really old things in the ground to just really old things in the ground.

Faith Murray

@Crystal Bruce, when I was seven, I wanted to be an obstetrician and donate my services to the poor for the cost of one penny. My mom, the realist, began explaining that there would be blood involved, which of course turned me onto other tracks. Nowadays, I realize that stuff doesn't bother me ... my husband and I own livestock, and we've been right out there with the vet, assisting with c-sections, amputations, and the like.

At eight, I then wanted to be a writer. My realist mother also explained to me that starving writers don't make any money. After bouncing between astronomy and forestry, I decided to major in writing anyway, with electives in business communication and grant and technical writing. I now write grants, appeal letters, and donor articles for work. So all you need is the right focus, right?

Coco Parham

@Crystal Bruce
when I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian and save all the animals. Turns out chemistry/physics, etc classes in college are harder than I thought. I worked for a vet for a long time and now do whatever I can to help.

Angela Finley Hunter

@Crystal Bruce - When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a dancer like the dancers on the series FAME and an accountant. During and after college, I realized I really enjoyed helping people and numbers so grantmaking is the perfect fit for me.

Angela Finley Hunter

@Coco Parham - That's pretty cool Coco. I remember my first accounting class in college, I thought I would be forced to faint.

Coco Parham

@Angela Hunter ?

Bobby Steurer

@Crystal Bruce I wanted to be a cartoonist, and a musician later on in my teens. I will fully admit that even as an adult, I still haven't quite figured this question out.