So, I'm Not A Pediatrician, But...

When I was young, I wanted to be a pilot, an actress, and a pediatrician.  (Not just one of those.  All of those.)  By the time I made it to 5th grade, I had decided to settle solely on being a pediatrician.  Then I saw Legally Blonde and decided I wanted to be a lawyer.  But mostly I still wanted to be a pediatrician.  I wanted to help people, especially people in the small variety.  But as I went on through school and discovered my intolerance for blood and other "gross" things, my feelings waned.  And when I had to dissect a mink in A&P my junior year of high school, I gave up all hope of ever becoming a doctor (and instead became a vegetarian for 3 years...)

My interests then led me towards business.  I guess in hindsight, that all makes sense... I played a mean game of Monopoly as a child.  (The only person that would ever beat me was my grandpa, because he wouldn't trade me his railroads.)

So now I'm getting ready to graduate and this summer I'm gaining a taste of the "business world", which is not always known for being particularly kind or in the business of "helping people".  But I'm finding that it can be.  In the last few years especially, several corporations are participating in philanthropic activities.  And they're not just donating money, they're donating useful resources.

It's absolutely a priority that I work for a company who is not just morally sound, but proactive in their communities.  So Target wins another point for being at awesome at doing just that.  Not only does Target donate 5% back into communities (which amounts to almost 4 million dollars a week), but they coordinate community events and improvement projects.

Last summer I participated in Operation Food Search St. Louis:

And last week I kicked off the Target community service for the summer by helping out at a local school that is going through re-structuring:

So yeah, working and making money is cool and all.  But it's really all about it not being all about you.  I don't know what I'll do with the rest of my life, but I hope that I can at least remember that much.  I think it's possible to find opportunities in any occupation to make a difference, and to truly help people.  

But mad props to all the doctors out there.  Srrsly.