Running head: The Major Decision

The Major Decision

Jake G. Helton
South Lyon High School
April 2016

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast two career fields and majors through
research in order to cajole myself into picking one or the other in the most laconic way possible.
I conducted this research in order to save time, money, and limit stress while in college. During
my research I ran into the issue of limited information from some of my sources. Rather than
information, these sources simply gave descriptions of the majors. On the other hand, my two
interviews were very helpful. As each interview gave me plenty of information and an inside
look to each career field. Based on my personal experience working with special needs students
and my interview with High School Special Education Teacher Lindsay Sitarski, I was able to
get a feel of what an average day is like. The same goes for Youth Ministry; I was given a chance
to job shadow and interview Youth Pastor Mark Kaminski. After all my Research, I have
determined youth ministry to be the career for me.
Word Count: 166

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The Major Decision

It is said that one of hardest decisions for youth to make is which career to follow through
life. This decision often stumps youth early on when they begin their search for a college.
According to nbc news (2005), 50 percent of students who declare a major going into college
will end up switching or changing their study field two to three times before they graduate. So
this paper really boils down to which major do I want to dive into, and which one would be
better for me. The two options I have are Special Education or Youth Ministry. Through my
research, I have found that Youth Ministry would be best fitted for myself.
Youth Ministry has been a career that I have thought about doing since I learned it was an
actual career. For my entire life I have loved working with and teaching younger people about
Christ, and helping them grow in their faith. This is exactly what Youth Ministry is; impacting
teens in their spiritual formation by engagement with difficult issues (Youth Ministry - Taylor
University, n.d.). So is it any surprise that I have picked this to be my top option of a career? At
Taylor University, the college in which I will attend next fall, there is a program call Christian
Educational Ministry. Within this major the concentration on Youth Ministry may be picked as a
focus to study. Through this program students like myself are offered many opportunities to not
just learn in the classroom but to learn first hand by experience. Paid internships, job hirings, and
overseas missions are available at churches, para church organizations, high schools, and
Christian camps through Taylors program. With chances like these I would be able to quickly
and easily learn the best way to teach, connect, and mentor youth in many different situations. In
fact, youth pastor, Mark Kaminski told me, Ministry is best learned hands-on. You wont
actually know what to say or how to say it until its already been said. Thats something you

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cant learn in a classroom (2016). With that being said, he did strongly encourage a classroom
setting; as I would be able to get a foundation and a better understanding of what good biblical
advice is and what it really means to live as a servant for the Lord.
The interview with Mark really helped me get an understanding of all the clandestine
behind-the-scenes of working in youth ministry, and more specifically being a youth pastor.
When I asked him what some pros and cons were to being a youth pastor he replied, Ill tell you
what I was told when I asked that same question. If there is another career that you would be
happy and satisfied with, do that. Because this is a very heavy burden (Kaminski, 2016). Mark
explained this in more detail later on. As we continued to talk it became evident to me that youth
ministry really is a heavy burden. He talked about things like worrying for others, the safety of
the youth, taking on the burdens and challenges youth come to him with, and spending long days
and nights at the church working, studying, and relating with people. He told me that there are
times his wife gets discouraged because of his work. As more and more words poured out of his
mouth I reflected on the experiences I have had while trying to minister and disciple people. I
realized how true it is that when you are looking to mentor and nourish others spiritually, you
often times have to enter into their struggles and suffer alongside them. That heavy burden is
exactly what he claimed to be the hardest part of the job.
All of that might sound like a poor blandishment, thats because it is. However, if I
simply look at the bad in everything, then where will that get me? Although times can be very
hard and challenging while trying to relate and connect to the teens, there are plenty of times that
bring an immense amount of joy. Just this past week on wednesday night, April 20th, 2016, I had
the chance to speak and be a youth pastor for the night. I got to speak to roughly 250-300 high
school students at youth group. I talked to them about what our relationship with God should

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really look like, and over the eighteen years I have been on Earth I can honestly say that I have
never felt more joy, more peace, or more satisfaction ever in my life then that moment I got to
serve the Kingdom of God. And that, that is the joy. That moment you can teach the ones you
love about the real purpose of life, is a moment you can never forget. Youth ministry is a career
that has an extremely high satisfaction rate, regardless of stress and worrying.
The other career path I was considering was a degree in special education. It wasnt until
recently that I started considering this. Being enrolled in PEERs this year is what started my
passion for working with students with special needs. After spending a semester and a half
working with these students, I have learned a lot about this career field. To be in special
education, you need to have sets of skills to aid in your everyday. Interpersonal connections
with students and other caregivers, flexibility and adaptability as each student differs, technology
knowledge with IEPs and digital tools, individual and group mentoring, and organizational skills
are all required skill traits to have while working in special education (Special Education
Degrees & Careers | How to Become a Special Education Teacher, n.d.). I have noticed all of
these to be very much needed on a daily basis. Connecting with the students not just as their
teacher or mentor, but as their friend. More often than not, this connection with the students will
need to be established over and over again each day. This is where patience comes in. This job
requires an amazing amount of patience, for every day is very similar. While everyday the
student says or does something new to make each day unique, the overall plan and layout for
each day is very much the same. Whether its connecting with the student the same way each
morning, or playing the same game each week, or eating the same thing, or sitting in the same
spot, or following the same curriculum, each day can begin to grow very boring. You must have
humor. I cannot stress that enough. If you cant find humor in each day, then you will burn out

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and grow very sick of this job, stated special education teacher, Lindsay Sitarski (2016).
Patience and humor is very much the key to special education. She isnt wrong to say that, for I
have experienced first hand the good and bad days of working with these students. In the good
days it is easy to find humor and a reason to enjoy the job. But it is the bad days that can make or
break your career. The days where your patience is severely tested, are the days that you need to
find humor. Random little things the students do, that other people would be weirded out by, are
usually the things that make a special education teacher laugh.
Special education is considered to be a teaching career. Therefore, many states have
different and specific regulations, degrees, and certifications that are required to work in that
state. Through, Taylors special education program certification is given for the state of illinois.
They also offer extended and extra school to obtain certification for other states. Although, the
ramification of doing this would be more classes and tests. The figure below shows the demand
for special education teachers across the country, in which I would easily be able to be certified
to work within.

Figure 1

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Youth ministry is far more easy to move. By this I mean I would not need to be certified
to preach in any specific region or state like I would for special education. I would simply just be
interviewed by the church, parachurch, or other organization Id be working at.
Based on all the experience I have had and all the research Ive done, my decision really
boils down to one thing. Which do I prefer? At the end of my life I would like nothing more than
to look back knowing that I lived it full of purpose and for the Lord. I would say the bible verse
Matthew 28:19 would be the decision maker, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Because of this
one sentence, I believe that I am called to work in youth ministry.

References
College freshmen face major dilemma. (2005). Retrieved April 19, 2016, from
http://www.nbcnews.com
Kaminiski, M. (2016, April/May). Youth Pastor [Personal interview].
Sitarski, L. (2016, March/April). Special Education Teacher [Personal interview].
Special Education Degrees & Careers | How to Become a Special Education Teacher. (n.d.).
Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.learnhowtobecome.org
Special Education - Taylor University. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2016, from
http://www.taylor.edu

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Youth Ministry - Taylor University. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.taylor.edu