Query: “My family wanted me to major in something that would guarantee a good paying job after college, but I wanted to do something cool (like history) and so I did and they aren’t thrilled. How do I tell my family that I got accepted into a history related masters program?”
~ Cool Historian

Dear Cool Historian,

Well, first of all, I’m impressed that you followed your passions during the past 4 years at Whitworth. It can be so difficult to go against our family’s wishes! Many families experience the “I-made-mistakes-in-my-youth-and-I-want-you-to-be-smarter-than-that” syndrome. This results in added pressure on and expectations of the children.

Usually, the expectations come from a place of love and what they really want is for you to be happy and successful. However, you are entitled to your mistakes and your passions, so you should follow them! When you begin to succeed in your own way, they will be so proud of you.

Eventually, they will come around to your dreams because they want you to flourish, it just may take some time to process a big change. That being said, you should tell your family as soon as possible. This way, they will have time to process and generate excitement for you. Good luck with your master’s program! It’s time to prove to them how cool history can be!

Love, Izzy