It’s always nice to have options in life. In my case, Indiana University was the perfect option to meet my needs and lifestyle. Back when I was approaching tenth grade, my life was changing. I had started to pursue my passion as a professional magician. Due to my career choice, my daily “hours of operation” were a little different than most 9-5 institutions. Oftentimes, my life couldn’t fit the standard school schedule due to events and bookings, causing me to rack up absences and miss classes. I still wanted to complete my schooling but needed a different way to do it. After doing some research, Indiana University was found! It was nice to know that there was a place that was able to help meet those needs for me.
When I started, I was very surprised to find out that although the program I was involved with was online, it was NOT easy! It was actually very challenging. I remember most of the courses I took challenged me far beyond what I was used to during the in-person classes I had been taking at the previous high school I was attending. I’m sure that the challenging nature of the classes helped me with my own pursuits as it made me more accustomed to facing and tackling life’s complex hurdles that were thrown my way. One of my favorite classes that I could remember taking was Mass Media. There are certain specifics from that class that I still remember and recall to this day. It was actually one of the more realistic courses I remember taking that truly connected to the real world, peeling back the layers of storytelling and how things are worded vs how they are said. Subtle nuanced things that most people wouldn’t think about.
I’m thankful that I had an alternative option for high school and I’m thankful for the challenging classes that I took. It allowed me to maintain the rhythm of traditional schooling in a “non-traditional way”. It definitely kept me on my toes and helped steer me in the right direction. To this day, I’m still involved in creative endeavors both through my work as a professional magician, 3D designer, and creativity podcast host. I hope that my non-traditional upbringing and approach that I was encouraged by my mother to take for high school can help and inspire other young creative entrepreneurs. It can inspire them to not only be ok with doing things that are different than the norm, but to create the life that is most authentic and meaningful for them
(SEE UNDERLINED BLUE TEXT FOR WEBSITE LINKS)
Main Site: https://shaunjaymagic.com
Design Site: https://utilitygaffs.com
Video Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRNzAWYLU_NC-tUIlbTa_TJnCQehJpkCC
Audio Only: http://bit.ly/makingmagiconapple