Many have said that the courses we choose to take in life are determined by a variety of factors.

For example, someone may choose to attend a certain university because one of their parents is alumni. Or a person may decide to pursue a career because they are naturally gifted in that area. Someone else may choose to never retire because from a young age they were taught to value hard work. And another may be born with an urge to pursue adventure, therefore exploration is something they are naturally attracted to.

Our choices have power, and regardless of where they lead us in life, I believe that ultimately and based on our inner inclinations, there is a good chance that deep within we already know the paths we will take. However, choosing whether or not we want to pursue our interests is a choice in its own right.

Growing up in the U.S. I was surrounded by artistic, hard-working people. My mother was an interior designer, and my father worked for a computer technology company. To me, they were polar opposites, but I always found it fascinating that they were able to find common ground despite this. As a result, a free-thinking environment was created for my brother and I, and we were encouraged early on to pursue life paths that we genuinely connected with.

It was during college that I first began to recognize the power of choices. Although I enrolled to study law (and would even work with lawyers for years after graduating), it didn’t take long before I knew that deep within me was a desire to do something different. I came to recognize more the passion I had for helping oppressed peoples around the world and learning about other cultures. I decided to change my major to International Relations to have more direct access to these kinds of topics.

It was a risky decision, but deep within, I knew it was something I needed to do.

Over the course of several years, I moved to New York to work for an anti-human trafficking agency, did a summer study program at the United Nations, and went to Ecuador to teach English to children in rural villages. It was through these experiences that I discovered my passion for education on a global scale. Eventually, inspired by the beauty and culture of Japan, I decided to move to endeavor down a new and exciting career path.

Being a coach at VERITAS has already taught me so much, but most importantly, it has confirmed that not only do we have the ability to choose, but our choices truly determine who we are in life. As coaches, we are challenged to improve our skills on a daily basis. Besides having the opportunity to interact with and learn from so many incredible and dynamic students, that is what I enjoy the most.

I hope that regardless of where you are in life, your talents, your personality, or even considering the decisions you have made, that you are confident in knowing that even if it takes some determination and hard work, you have the ability to accomplish anything. Most often, it is simply a matter of choosing to begin. If you are looking for a supportive team that will encourage and inspire you on your English learning journey, I hope that you choose VERITAS!