Focusing the Lasers

Focusing The Lasers from Sean McFarland on Vimeo.

As the producers of this video said at the end, this movie is a look into the past for students. It shows their progress from before starting college to being driven towards a goal at the end of their time at community college. They categorize students based on their skills and mental motivation. The categories include, Visitors, Wanderers, Dreamers, Explorers, Seekers, and lastly Lasers.

I would categorize myself as a laser at this point in my college life. However I would agree with what they said at the end of the movie. There is not a single person that goes to college as a Laser. We all start out at some other point and transition into a Laser. Like I said, I would categorize myself as a Laser because I know what I want to do with my career. I am very driven towards it and have a plan as for how to achieve my goals.

However, I did not start out as a laser. In fact Chabot College was not my first attempt at college life. Right after high school i decided to do what a majority of my fellow classmates were doing and choose a four year university to attend. My choice was San Jose State University. Here i would classify myself as a visitor. I did not know what I wanted to do other than the fact that i wanted to be in college and maybe i would decide as i go. After a short time there, i realized that this school was not where i wanted to be. So i left after just one semester and attended City College of San Francisco. Same thing happened. I did not know what i wanted to study just that i wanted a degree in something. Low and behold, i ended up leaving City College and trying to find my way in the real world without college. That did not go well with my parents. They kept urging me to go back to school so i can have something to fall back on. I explored some options and actually decided to just follow my heart. I chose Chabot just because of its location and ease. It was located right next to my work and only a short drive from my house. I initially took a bunch of different classes to really figure out what i wanted to do. I chose business because of its ability to fit into any field of work. After one semester at Chabot, I realized they have an automotive program. So i went to talk with some of the teachers and see how it all works. I also found out about a prestigious program for BMW training. I immediately saw the value in this training and made an appointment with the teacher for an interview.

Long story short, I am more driven and mentally focused than i have ever been in my life. I found what I've wanted to do and it was all thanks to certain teachers and my family who have supported my decisions. I will be done with my training by the next semester and sent off into the working world. They were able to place me in a job before i even finished my training. Now I am a technician working for BMW and doing what i love.

I guess what I'm saying is that, it doesn't matter where you start, its where you finish. And i have had a rough start, but it smooths out and you just have to have perseverance and dedication to achieve all your wildest dreams.