The Kid
Growing up in Alaska, Aileen Gundran, wanted to stay here for college. She wanted to be where she was comfortable, near to what she knew.
Aileen thought she wanted to go into a medical field, but realized it was not for her. Before she could figure out what she wanted to do she was “pushed” into Mechanical Engineering. Considering what she wanted from life, Civil Engineering seemed like a better fit.
Aileen wants to use her major to help people but is not sure how. She loves people. People can be difficult, but she likes them all the same.
Aileen has not had much opportunity to make decisions for herself. She feels as though most of her decisions have been made for her. Now, she is learning to appreciate the good and bad things in life. She is beginning to see failure not as a bad thing but as an expression of freedom.
Her voice softens as she describes a long-distance relationship she was in not too long ago. It didn’t work out. But she doesn’t see it as a failure, because she was making decisions for herself. She sees the end of the relationship as an opportunity for growth.
She smiles softly and says, “Anything can happen.” For Aileen, that is the best thing about life, endless possibilities in a world where she is free to choose her path.