Editor,

RE: "Expert Voice: Tell your parents where your passion is” (The New Times, March 15). Life is all about shaping your vision in the right direction with proper guidance and seriousness. It’s by nature we are born with different visions and passions.

For instance, some people are born with the passion of being scientists, teachers, economics, politicians, religious leaders, mathematicians, journalists… They have the passion for that and work towards that to meet their destiny.

I come from a family of mathematicians and accountants who believed that life would only be realised through the two areas. I pursued journalism and public relations; at first, they called for family meetings to shut my dream of becoming a professional journalist and public relations officer, but I remained focused towards my destiny.

As a lecturer of journalism and public relations, I meet many students whom their parents had forced to do the so-called family courses like law, economics or science through government sponsorships.

Guess what? Students tend to be frustrated and perform poorly in the courses that have been imposed on them. The students were counseled, we talked their parents out and the students decided to start doing the course of their interest – toward their dream.

I have many successful stories of students who joined journalism and public relations, believe me they are now great communication officers and journalists in big organisations. I always advise students to discover themselves, think properly, go out of their comfort zones, think beyond normal thinking and work with others to reach their destiny.

Oversleeping and wasting time on social media will not make you realise what you want to be; show your parents that you’re serious with what you want to become and they will support you. Stop being lazy, your dream is in your hands, not in others’.

If you have the passion for sport journalism, it might be hard for your parents or lecturers to support you in that. Always go the extra mile to achieve what you want to be. Many people will probably whisper to you that you cannot do it, but persist, look forward and believe in yourself.

The bandwagon effect or peer groups at times might lead you into miscalculation regarding your dream. It’s the core responsibility for every parent to monitor the passions of their children and set the doors open to direct them the best paths.

Henry Mapesa