Yours Truly - Mobile | kayleephoto

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

- Jeremiah 29:11

Growing up, I knew I had always wanted to set a career for myself in something that I loved. Benjamin Franklin once said,

“Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.”

At the age of 17--fresh out of high school--I wasn't ready for the risks of starting my own business. Consequently, the path that I was creating for myself when I had "planned" out my future in 2007 was much like the dreadful life that Benjamin Franklin had described; I had discovered a decent paying "safe" job in the medical field and had landed myself on the waitlist for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. I had finished two years of generals at UWSP before I was ready to start the ultrasound program at NTC in Wausau. February 2010 rolled around and I received a letter stating that I was ready to start during the upcoming fall semester. I was ecstatic! 3 years of waiting... over! Another month later... I received notice that the school had dropped the program. "Is this God's sign for me that I shouldn't be doing this program after all?", I thought to myself. "No, it couldn't be. This just goes to show that not everything comes easy."

I enrolled at NWTC in Green Bay --one of about three other schools in the state that offered the DMS program-- and was immediately put on their waiting list. It was going to be another two years of waiting so I took the following school year off and moved to Wausau to "find myself" ;) In early 2011, I received notice that I was able to start the DMS program in Green Bay during the upcoming month of June. I moved to Green Bay to start my journey as a sonographer. "FINALLY", I thought!

Fact: As early as 6th grade, I carried a disposable camera everywhere...

One of the last things that I had to do before starting the program was to complete a job shadow and a program orientation. By somehow forgetting to attend the orientation, I was at risk for losing my enrollment until the following year. "Oh no!" I called the school up and begged to keep my position! I attended my job shadow experience, without any further risks, and noticed how NOBODY was passionate about their jobs! I left feeling uneasy about the whole experience...

It was 3 am after I had finished bartending one night when I had made up my mind.

"I CANNOT DO THIS! I WILL DIE AT THE AGE OF TWENTY FIVE AND WAIT UNTIL I'M SEVENTY FIVE TO BE BURIED. I CAN'T DO THIS. I CANNOT DO THIS! I WILL DIE AT TWENTY FIVE. I WILL DIE AT TWENTY FIVE!"

At 3:30 am, I was on my way to my parents' home in Plover, WI -- almost two hours away -- to notify my family of my discovery! I was praying that they would be supportive because any ounce of doubt might have spiraled me into the same confusion that had plagued me before. My decision was now crystal clear. My family had supported my decision 100 PERCENT. I was 2 or 3 days away from starting the ultrasound program when I had dropped all of the courses and enrolled in the PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAM. Although it might have taken me a little longer to realize the God-given purpose for my life, that was certainly okay with me!