Written by: Alessi

Edited by: Grace & Audrey

Visual by: Sofia

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

It’s the irritating question everyone has been hearing since kindergarten. But during course selection season at ISM, that question suddenly feels louder and far more real. As students scroll through the course handbook and debate their subjects and higher-level (HL) course choices, all roads eventually lead to a larger question: what future are we actually working toward?

At ISM, the answer is not one-size-fits-all. It shifts depending on grade level, personal interest, and what each student’s culture deems successful.

Take the freshmen. GB (9) shared, “I really want to be a lawyer. It’s also because I am really passionate about ensuring the right people are not judged wrongly.” Her confidence reflects a broader trend among ninth graders: a secure sense of passion and a belief that the world will make space for whatever they decide to become. 

But when asked about the courses and study habits needed to get there, GB admitted, “I haven’t really thought much about it yet. I just know I don’t want to have anything more than college.” Her dreams are bold, but the connection between that dream and the academic commitment it requires has yet to fully form.

Seniors, by contrast, seem to have made that connection. In a recent post on the senior batch’s Instagram account, graduating students were asked where they see themselves in ten years. Many envisioned graduate school, careers in major organizations like Vogue, or living abroad in their dream city. But what differentiates them from the freshmen is that their answers were not job titles, but timelines and processes. Maybe this highlights a broader trend about how maturity shapes one’s view of the future—as we grow older and the adult world gets closer, we become more scared about what our end will look like. Thus, as seen in the seniors’ responses, we think more about the process of getting closer to our dreams than about the destination itself.

Aside from grade-level differences, many people have different life goals depending on their culture. One student shared, “I will most probably go into politics since my family is in it.” For many Filipinos, this seems to be the case as politics runs in the family. On the other hand, a sophomore shared, “My parents really want me to be a neurosurgeon.” This proves a different lens of culture, highlighting how parental expectations can push students into careers they might not have chosen themselves. Ultimately, these responses reveal the wide range of careers among ISM students and the various ways culture can influence and impact them. 

To conclude, the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question no one is truly ready to answer. While some may have an idea lingering in the back of their mind, we must first question if it is shaped by passion or parental pressure and legacy or learned cultural ideals. Regardless, one statement remains clear: ISM opens doors to all careers, jobs, and pathways to life, allowing any bearcat to dream as big as they deem necessary.