I was 17. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career or how to run my life. My teachers handed me a personality test and a list of career values and let me figure it out from there. Words and phrases like 'job security' and 'work environment' flew at me, concepts I had no experience to idenitify with. I didn't know enough to choose what my values were. I only knew one thing: I wanted to work with people. Now, I am 27. I have worked in several different industries, all heavily revolving around communication. In high school and university, I started in theater and interned in several theater companies, bringing my rendition of Hamlet to the stage. I loved creating relationships and collaborating in the team environment theater productions can create. Later on, I worked in a restaurant setting where I talked with customers throughout every shift. Oftentimes, many people wanted to be left alone, but many others were more than willing to share their story. Many people just need someone to listen to.Most recently I decided to pursue teaching abroad, so I moved halfway across the world to Thailand. There are a plethora of communication issues between the American and Thai cultures, but I found bridging those gaps to be one of the most rewarding aspects of my experience. Like in my previous positions, building relationships started with listening, then led into deciding on a goal for learning, which I helped students pursue relentlessly. As a teacher, it was my responsibility to protect the interests of my students while also ensuring a positive experience in my classes and with other students. I'm proud to say that, in one year there, I helped build a lasting community.Through it all, communication has been the cornerstone of my life. I see myself in a career where I can help others' fulfill their goals, where I'm in a team environment. There's something electric about choosing a goal with another person, whether a customer or a team member, and completely going after it.