There’s this question I get asked frequently by family, friends, co-workers, strangers, etc. I used to not like it because I didn’t know how to answer it. I’m sure you might have gotten it before. It’s the, “What are you going to do with your degree?” question. I have mentioned in a previous post that I became a Communication major for some pretty lame reasons (I liked working with people and everyone needs communication skills). Two years can teach a person a lot about who they are and what they are passionate about. I love answering this question now because I get to talk about something I am passionate about: Youth Ministry (Catholic Youth Ministry, more specifically).
Youth Ministry in the Catholic faith is important. The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry’s website says, ” The church must become the traveling companion of young people—and that is what we mean by youth ministry. If, indeed, ‘it takes an entire village to raise a child,’ then it certainly takes an entire church to journey with young people as they grapple with the Good News and respond in discipleship.”
I am who I am today because of Catholic Youth Ministry. I have seen its benefits first hand not only in me but for other young people looking for a purpose and looking for love.
Now, how can I use my degree in Communication to pursue a career in Youth Ministry? Well, Youth Ministry is not just about the relational aspect of ministering. There is a ton of behind the scenes work that goes into good Catholic Youth Ministry. This is where I want to be involved. I love the relational ministry part, but I am more interested in supporting others who have a real gift for it. My dream job is to work for a Youth Ministry program such as Life Teen. I honestly don’t know specifically what I want to do, but I do want to be a part of the mission to lead teens closer to Christ in whatever capacity I can.
Being a Communication major with a focus in PR and minor in Religious and Theological Studies seems to be a good fit for this future career. No matter what, I believe I have passions for a reason, and I am going to pursue them.
Emily Claire 