Autumn Gonzalez ’21 (City College)

Major: Advertising and Public Relations
Minor: Journalism

“I never had any other plans for after high school. For me, college was always where I knew I would end up. In fact, throughout my high school years, I had it all figured out. I would work twice as hard to achieve a straight-A status and join after school clubs in hopes of receiving a scholarship. Once in college, I would start my life as an architecture student for the next five years. Coming from an architecture high school, it seemed [to be] the most logical choice. I enjoyed architecture enough, and I was good at it. Why not pursue it in college, right?

Upon my entrance into the City College of New York, I realized that maybe I didn’t have it all figured out after all. Yes, my hard work did pay off and earn[ed] me a spot at the Macaulay Honors College, but my plans to remain an architecture student did not run as smoothly. About a month and a half into the program, I began to develop thoughts that architecture wasn’t for me. Immediately, I attempted to push these thoughts out of my head. Architecture had been a part of my plan for so long, that I felt as though leaving it would be a failure. It would be a disappointment. However, there eventually came a time where I had to make a decision between my pride and my happiness. I chose to be happy.

Fast forward to now; I am no longer an architecture major and I couldn’t be more pleased with my choice. Currently, I hope to minor in journalism and am heavily leaning towards a major in advertising and public relations. Switching majors was something I never thought would happen to me in college. I thought that I had it all planned out, but if there is one thing that college has taught me, it’s that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Life is going to toss me in all directions, but I will be ready when it does. It is perfectly fine to not know where I will end up ten years from now; I’m not worried.”

Interviewer: Haresh Mohabir ‘21 (City College)
Photographer: Autumn Gonzalez ’21 (City College)

 Special thanks to student group Humans of Macaulay for this Macaulay student story. Read more.