"This semester," bellowed the teacher as he addressed the room of high school seniors, "I will make you all chemists." The class let out a collective groan. The teacher continued unfazed. "You will all have to complete a real research project using the facilities of local universities." Like most of my classmates in the AP Chemistry course, I dreaded the huge amount of work that loomed before me. Little did I know that this work would help determine my future. In the months ahead, I committed more time to this one course than I ever had before, poring over chemistry textbooks and working in the laboratory into the early hours of the morning. I always had an inkling that my future lay in science and technology, and this experience proved it beyond question. The methodical laboratory preparations, the interweaving of theory and practice, and the tangible results of a successful experiment all appealed to my disciplined and inquisitive nature. By the end of my senior year, I had developed a solid foundation in the principles of chemistry, and just as my teacher had promised, I was on my way to becoming a chemist.
Despite my growing interest in chemistry, I still harbored dreams of becoming a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force at the time of my high school graduation. Even as I spent my evenings in the laboratory for AP Chemistry, I woke up early in the morning to run and do a routine of sit-ups and pushups. I was preparing for the rigorous physical and mental demands of the Air Force Academy. Over the course of previous summers, I had experienced the sweeping rush of glider school and had soloed in my first motorized aircraft. I hoped for the challenging life of an Air Force pilot and was on my way to making it a reality through sweaty self-discipline and intense mental focus. On one sunny afternoon, I saw a thick letter with a Colorado postmark in my mailbox. I was now a cadet at the Academy.
As with all military institutions, the first years at the Academy were intensely demanding. Strenuous endurance tests, high-level academic work, and hazing by upperclassmen made a junior cadet's life extremely trying. Nonetheless, I thrived during these years because I never lost my sense of focus or my love of chemistry. Even as I dreamed of being a fighter pilot, I found my chemistry courses to be highly engaging and challenging. All cadets were given a choice of academic tracks, and I had chosen science and engineering. As in high school, I worked in the laboratory late at night and ran early in the morning. Whenever I got fatigued, I just remembered how close I was to fulfilling my goal of becoming a pilot.
After a visit to the ophthalmologist one day, my dreams of airborne glory were abruptly shot down. My vision did not meet the Air Force standards required of pilots. It was a crushing blow, and at first I did not know what to do. Nonetheless, I knew that I was not without direction. Once again, my life pushed me towards studying chemistry. This was a subject that I knew I would enjoy, so I packed up my science textbooks, threw away my flight training manuals, and headed back to my hometown college, the University of Texas at Austin (UTA).
As much as I had loved chemistry before, my studies at UTA convinced me that I had found the right vocation. I was particularly inspired by Dr. John Rove. Like my high school chemistry teacher, Dr. Rove knew that the best way to instill an appreciation for the field was through active research and meaningful laboratory work. He believed that one should never learn from a book what one could learn from a beaker, flask, or Bunsen burner. As soon as I explained my experience and interest in the field to him, he offered me a position in his group doing research on the decomposition mechanisms of electro-optic dyes. The research I performed involved finding suitable organic dyes for electro-optic modulators. After months of grueling work and wise guidance from Dr. Rove, I was ready to present my research at regional and national meetings of the American Chemical Society. Networking with chemists from around the country allowed me to glimpse not only other possible fields of chemical research, but also the potential career options I might want to pursue. Had it not been for Dr. Rove's personal guidance and help, I doubt that my future career plans in chemistry would be as clear as they are today.
Because of my two-year commitment to the United States Air Force, I was unable to apply to graduate school directly after college. Instead, I spent two years serving as an intelligence officer. From this job, I have greatly improved my analytic ability, communication skills, pressure management techniques, and patience as a researcher. Like chemists, intelligence officers often have to construct coherent models of reality from incomplete pieces of data. This position has offered me insights and training that no classroom setting could match. Nonetheless, I am ready to return to my first love, chemistry.
Although my life has taken some unexpected turns in the last few years, the field of chemistry has been an unwavering companion and a source of intellectual interest. Whether it was discovering research in high school, learning advanced chemical theories at the Air Force Academy, or presenting my findings at meetings of the Chemical Society, the lure of studying physical structures has always guided my decisions. My advanced research in electro-optic modulators and my course work in classes such as Molecular Orbital Theory have given me the analytical ability, laboratory skills, and theoretical knowledge to excel in a rigorous doctoral program. During my Ph.D. studies, I intend to focus on inorganic and materials chemistry in order to design new materials for use in industry. By a stroke of fate, the weak vision that prevented me from becoming a fighter pilot allowed me to envision my future as a successful chemist.
评语：
这篇文章的与众不同之处在于作者的专业目标经历过这种转变，最终定位化学的。但这种决定并不是盲目和无奈的，而是在经历过各种专业研究和实践后，在放弃飞行员职业目标后，更加坚定地选择的。正是因为这些波折，使得作者对化学的热爱更加强烈。文章虽然提到一些关于飞行员的事，但是绝大多数的篇幅和例子其实都是有关化学学习的。所以这是一篇主线明确、主题非常深刻，事例层层深入的好文章。
译文：
老师走进我们高年级教室时大声说道：“这个学期，我将使你们全都成为化学家”。教室里传出一片嘘声，老师并没有丝毫的狼狈，继续说：“你们每个人都将在大学中使用那里的先进器械，完成一项真正的研究项目”我和许多上AP化学课程的同学一样，对于将要面临的繁重作业十分头疼。我当时觉得这堂课的研究项目不会对我将来的发展有帮助。在那之后的几个月里，我比过去花了更多的时间在这个课程上，无数次地翻阅化学课本，在实验室里做实验直到第二天凌晨。我对自己的将来渐渐产生一种模糊的概念：我可以在科学技术方面有所发展。而这段研究的经历也一定程度地证实了我的想法。我在实验前作过系统的准备，将理论灵活运用于实践并成功得出了一些比较切实可行的答案。这些与我严谨、好学的个性是分不开的。在高中毕业前，我已经培养了很扎实的化学基础。正如我的老师所说的，我正努力着去成为一个化学家。
虽然对于化学的兴趣渐渐浓厚起来，我中学毕业时还是曾考虑过成为一个美国空军的战斗机飞行员。在每晚熬夜在实验室里做AP化学课程作业的那段期间，我还会每天早起出去跑步、做一些仰卧起坐和俯卧撑，为了空军学校严格的体能与知识要求做准备。去年夏天，我去过许多规模很大的滑翔机学校，并且有了属于我自己的小飞机。我向往空军飞行员那种充满挑战的生活，希望能够通过自己的强化训练和各种心理准备，最终能够实现这一愿望。在一个阳光灿烂的下午，我看见一封盖有科罗拉多州邮戳的厚厚的信在我的邮箱里，信里告诉我说，我已经成为了一个军事院校的学生了。
和所有的军事学校一样，在学院里第一年的学习对学生就有很高的要求。强度很大的忍耐力测试、难度很高的学术任务以及受高年级学生欺负，这些使我的军校生活异常艰难。尽管如此，我还是顺利完成了这些年的学习，而且我从未放弃过对化学的热忱的追求。虽然我梦想成为一个战斗机飞行员，但我发现化学其实更加吸引我，更有挑战性。所有的军校学生都可以选择他们的学术发展方向，而我就选择了科学与工程。我高中时就在实验室里熬夜，第二天还早起出去跑步，那时候每当我感到疲倦的时候，我就会告诉自己我离我成为飞行员的目标已经越来越近了。
可是一次去看眼科门诊的经历将我的梦想彻底粉碎了。我的视力水平没能符合空军招飞行员的标准。这对我是个很大的打击，起初我都不知道该做什么好了。经过了一段时间的迷茫，我想到自己还没有完全迷失方向。我的生活又一次将我推向了化学。我知道我会喜欢这个学科，所以我整理了学科的书籍，扔掉了我的飞行训练手册，并回到了家乡的德州奥斯汀大学（UTA）读书。
正如我以前是那么地喜欢化学一样，在UTA 学习期间，我更加确定化学将会成为我以后的职业方向。我的老师John Rove教授给了我很多鼓励。就像我的高中化学老师一样，Rove教授强调：积极地参与实验室研究是灌输化学知识的最好的方法。他相信，学生从书本上是无法学习到那些在操作烧杯、烧瓶和煤气灯中学到的内容。当我把自己对化学的兴趣告诉他后，他为我安排了一个在他的实验组中助研的位置，我可以参与研究光电染料的分解机理，还包括为光电调节器寻找合适的有机染料。经过了几个月的艰苦工作和教授的悉心指导，我已经准备好在美国化学学会上做论文报告了。通过网络，我和一些各地的化学家作交流，我不仅能看到其它可以发展的化学研究，还能了解到一些可以从事的、较有发展潜力的职业方向。如果不是Rove 教授的亲自指导和帮助，我想我对未来的职业目标可能不会像现在这样明确。
由于在美国空军学院读了两年，我从学院毕业后不能直接申请研究生院。因此我在情报局做了两年的服务工作，从中学到了分析、沟通、管理压力的技巧和研究工作者所需要的耐心。情报工作者经常要根据不完全的数据建立适应实际情况的模型。这就培养了我的洞察力和课堂中无法学到的实践能力。虽然这份工作很好，但我还是决定要回到我最初喜欢的专业—化学。
虽然在过去的几年中我的人生经历了几次意想不到的变化，但最终我坚定地选择了化学成为我终生的追求。无论是在学校里做研究、在空军学院深入学习化学理论，还是在化学学会上作专业报告，都引导着我选择了这个专业目标。对于光电调节器的深入研究和分子轨道理论的课程论文培养了我的分析能力、实验室操作技术以及能够适应博士课程的理论基础。我想以无机和材料化学作为博士学位课程研究的主要方向，这样就可以为工业设计出新的材料。由于命运的波折，我视力的缺点破灭了我成为飞行员的梦想，却引导我走上了成为化学家的征途。
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