My name is Alejandro Aguirre, I go by Alex, and I’m from Des Moines, Iowa. I was coming to Morningside as a business major my freshman year, but I changed my plans after starting a summer job at the Boys & Girls Club here in Sioux City. I was working with teenagers, and it really lit something in me. I knew I needed to somehow be involved with this line of work.  

After that summer, I emailed my advisor, Dan Wubbena in the business office, about two weeks before school started, saying something like “Dang, I think I need to switch majors.” He said he’d make some calls, talk to the right people, and get it set up. By the time school started, I was set up in the Education Department. My major is now in kindergarten through twelfth-grade special education. 

I’ve had many great professors in the education department. Especially for special education, such as Dr. Yates, Courtney Leaverton, and Dr. Mohamed. Dr. Yates often tells stories about her experiences working in special education. Cortney has extensive knowledge of specific interventions, and Dr. Muhammad has taught me a lot about the technical work involved in IEPs and how to write certain intervention plans. My professors have passed down extensive knowledge, and it’s helped me to become prepared and confident entering this field. 

It makes sense that I would eventually find myself in this field. Both of my parents are teachers; my dad works in special education, specifically. I just had no idea how passionate I’d be about it until I worked with the students myself. There’s always going to be tough days; that’s basically in the job description. But when you’re able to connect with a student who’s been labeled ‘difficult’ and help them feel understood and get their day back on track, it’s the most rewarding thing. 

It’s important to know you’re not locked into your first choice when it comes to choosing your career.  If there are experiences or opportunities to try something you haven’t done before but are interested in, you should really give it a shot. Sioux City has so many of those opportunities, and Morningside provides many resources to help you explore them. You never know what’s going to catch your eye; that’s what happened with me at Boys & Girls Club, and it’s changed my life. So take every opportunity you can. Don’t convince yourself that it’s too late to make a different decision; it’s not. In the long run, it’s better to hit the brakes on something you’ve been feeling uncertain about to explore and discover what you love.