First Person: Conquering the huge uncertainty of choosing a major

The question of where to go to college was hardly a question for Savannah Leonard. Since she could remember, the Sonora native wanted to go to Texas Tech University. Her grandfather, both parents and her older brother brought home degrees from Tech.
"But believe it or not, that wasn't the selling point for me," she said. "I loved the fact that it's in West Texas. I loved how it's a big university with a small town feeling. Most of all, I loved how genuine the people were."
On other hand, deciding on what her academic major was a different story. "I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to study or what career to pursue after high school," Leonard said. That changed after a trip to the Lubbock campus.
During a visit to Texas Tech, Leonard's older brother Craig, an animal science sophomore at the time, introduced her to several faculty and staff members in Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. "I loved how welcoming every person was. It felt as though everyone was sincerely happy to meet me and excited to hear I would be attending Texas Tech."
After initially leaning toward agricultural communications as a major, Leonard veered toward becoming a high school math teacher and basketball coach. But after a semester of math classes and some hands-on experience coaching, she was back in agricultural communications, and this time, for good, she said.
"After a whirlwind experience of overwhelming uncertainty, I'm absolutely sure of where I am supposed to be," Leonard said. "It's a perfect fit for me." Today, Leonard said she has hard-working classmates who challenge her, professors who go beyond what's expected of them, and amazing opportunities like interning at a television news station and spending a summer in Washington, D.C. working for Congressman Mike Conaway (R-TX 11).
"As a graduating senior, I look back at all those daunting questions I faced at 18 with reassurance, and can honestly say I couldn't be happier to have chosen to study agricultural communications at Texas Tech," Leonard said.
Written by Norman Martin
CONTACT: Steven Fraze, Chair, Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2816 or steven.fraze@ttu.edu
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