May 2025 Envisioning My Future By Annie Bautista

In this last month of the spring semester, some of you may be decorating your cap and preparing for graduation, while others are just finishing your first semester at Reedley College, relieved that you have been able to adapt to the new learning environment and make it through to the end. For me, this semester marks the end of my second year in graduate school, with one more to go. In total, I have been attending higher education for seven years now, and frankly, I am tired. However, I keep myself motivated by envisioning myself in a space of my own once I am finally settled into my career as a therapist. 

My most ideal vision for the future is a cozy office with large, tinted windows to let in natural light. There will be plants on shelves, sitting next to various self-help books nearby, easily accessible for client recommendations. I’ll have a white noise machine to use in guiding clients in beginning and ending session meditations. My office will have a calm blue and green color scheme, with artwork to match and give the room personality.  

I hope my office brings the same feeling the RWC brings me when I come in, safety and comfort. It will be a place where I could really connect with clients and provide them with space to be vulnerable. I’m still quite far away from having an office of my own, but envisioning where I could be with the steps I am taking now is encouraging.  

When I am finally finished with my schooling and complete all my hours, I will look back on this time fondly and thank myself for working so hard now. With time, I know it will all be worth it. Eventually, I will become a therapist that clients can rely on to overcome their mental health challenges. I’ll do everything I can now to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to grow into that role. Although some days may be rough, and I may make a few mistakes along the way, I know that all these experiences will teach me to become the therapist I desire to be. I’ll get there someday, but for now, I’ll celebrate each little victory, like ending another semester and getting one step closer to entering my dream career.