One of the hardest choices teenagers today must make is what they want to do with their life. Not only is there a deadline to make some sort of decision by senior graduation, but there is also the constant prodding from friends, family and even strangers. From second grade and beyond, teachers have asked what their young pupils want to be when they grow up. Most answer eagerly, ‘I want to be an astronaut!’ ‘I want to be a nurse!’ ‘I want to be a cowboy!’ However, with reality fast approaching, not everyone keeps their longtime childhood dreams.

So of course, choices have to be made. Applications must be sent to colleges that seem like the best fit and careers have to be picked. STEM careers (science, technology, engineering, and math) are some of the more popular choices for college students. Others go to pursue law, medicine, or things similar. For some, it is difficult to create a success out of the arts alone. With creative choices becoming more prevalent than ever before, many students go after the liberal arts or humanitarian jobs. What happens afterwards is more based on the individual, but most can agree that finding stability in anything creative or art based isn’t easy.

“I think it is imperative,” said freshman Rhiann Ashmore. “Art is the driving force behind all creativity, right? In order to be innovative you have to be creative.”

There are plenty of reasons why more and more students turn toward STEAM – combining the arts with typical STEM jobs by using art through various mediums. It can be used in ways such as design or communication. Its purpose is not to replace more logically-based career paths, but to add an extra layer that can be useful in establishing the effectiveness of STEM jobs. A few students in North Atlanta High School have shared their interest in this idea.

“I think STEAM would be amazing,” said freshman Lacy Smith. “I love science as well as art and combining the principles would be absolutely fantastic. Both art and science are important for society to function, so why not combine them?”

However, some disagree by saying that it is a pointless concept. STEM is a cluster of careers that has to be focused on its own disciplines. If one pursues art, then they can also pursue a number of different pathways in order to receive a well-rounded education. Of course, it is still a new concept that needs more work, but with students searching for more opportunities in creating a combination of two opposing areas, STEAM might just be the right path to take.