Sophomore Jeordin Wiley shares her perspective on why the Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts major is the perfect fit for her.

My name is Jeordin Wiley. I am an Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Major here at Colorado State University. August of 2013, I began my freshman year following in the footsteps of all my favorite writers (Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe, Bukowski and even Whitman), by joining the Journalism department.

Yet, after months of consideration and two semesters of classes, I wondered if a career in journalism was ideal for me. How would I feel in the future if I was checking facts and police monitors to cover stories that may fail to raise my interests? I imagined working at a newspaper, and as I covered events and stories for my News Writing class, my passion for journalism wavered. I entered the field because I had a passion for writing, but needed a medium where I could make a living out of that passion.

I wondered, “Why am I not following my heart’s desire?” A lot of students may find themselves facing this decision, and many will choose the alternative—to make money. You may choose to follow what will make you most financially successful, but personally, I believe my soul comes before all lesser evils of the material world. I decided I would reject the status quo, learn what I love, and truly follow my passion.

I am a writer and a poet. To excel in my craft I would need proper training, so I talked to my advisor before my second year at CSU and discussed changing my major to English, with a concentration in Creative Writing. I would learn the tricks of the masters and find my voice.

And I would have stuck with my English Major if it had not been for my other interests. I began taking a philosophy class, along with a history course and I became enamored, fascinated by both subjects. I was conflicted, there was so much I wanted to pursue. What would I do? What could I do? I wanted to do it all.

So, once again, I consulted my new advisor. I told her of my frustrations, ranting enthusiastically about how intrigued and undecided I had become with my new knowledge. Her exact words, “You know what? I think I actually have something that might be the right fit for you.” It was then that she introduced me to the Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts major. Under this new major, my course of study would cover all my interests. Currently, I am in my third year studying creative writing, philosophy, history, and (my original point of entry) journalism.

When they say you can’t have your cake and eat it too, they obviously did not have Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts in mind. I encourage all students, future and current, to follow the path that will bring them the most happiness and not to settle for anything less.