SEO: Huan He ditches economics to follow his creative

dreams
Huan He, a former economics student at Dartmouth College, realized that his
passions differ dramatically from the academic path he was following. When
faced with a finance exam, He realized he needed to follow his dreams of
working in a creative field.

Traveling from a college classroom to destiny

Huan He ditches a dull path at Dartmouth to follow his passions
It is so important for people to do what they feel like they need
to do. Life is short and it should not be wasted. Huan He reminisced
on a realization that changed the path of his life forever. His journey
started at college in Hanover, New
Hampshire.
He, a junior at Dartmouth College,
always assumed he would be a doctor,
lawyer, or business executive. Coming
from a competitive high school, He
says, people strive to get accepted into top schools to study a narrow
range of topics, which lead to a narrow
range of career choices. Huan He chose

Former Dartmouth student

Huan He smiles for a
headshot in New York City.
Photo Source: Facebook.com

to change his area of study when he took a class, which made him
realize that he was more creative than academic.
Once He began working as a marketing coordinator at an
application startup in New York City, he knew he made the right
decision.

Academic confusion
He entered Dartmouth in 2010 as an economics major. Hes
parents gave He three areas of study he could choose between; He
decided economics would be a semi-interesting topic, which would
definitely lead to a career after graduation. He subconsciously felt
immense pressure to be successful from his parents, who are both
professionals in the medical field. The fall of Hes junior year, he
enrolled in a finance class, which forever changed his view on the
academic world He thought he understood.
At the first exam for his finance class, He reached a pivotal point
in his life. And then it hit me, he noted, this is not what I was meant
to be doing. He realized, after looking at the first question on the
exam, that he had no interest in what he was studying. He left the
exam feeling defeated, and questioning the educational path he had
committed to over two years prior.
New beginnings
After the exam, He evaluated everything in his life, I looked at
everything from what clubs I was in, to what classes I should take, to
what career path I should pursue. Because He has had a longtime
interest in more creative fields, He knew he would be happier in a more

artistic career. Following a new road in his life, He enrolled in classes

that interested him and helped him toward his goal of a fulfilling
career.
Fast forward five years, and He could not feel better with his
current career and life. He currently works at Animoto, a music video
creation application start-up in New York City, which allows users to
select images and music for their own, custom video, as a marketing
coordinator.
A perfect fit
Hes coworker, Emily, said, Huan is passionate in everything he
does within Animoto. He definitely brings a lot of creativity into the
everyday work setting, which makes working with him even more
enjoyable.
He cannot stress enough the importance of following your
dreams. Making the decision to change his coursework and follow what
his heart told him allowed He to lead a happy, fulfilled young adult life.
While I was at Dartmouth, I took many courses that I struggled
through because I thought they were what I should be doing, not what I
actually wanted to be doing. Once I took a step back and reevaluated

It is so important for
people to do what they
feel like they need to
do. Life is short and it
should not be wasted
-Huan He

what I desired for myself, rather than

what my family wanted or rather than
what I felt pressured to do, a huge
weight was lifted off my chest.

Although He knows that taking a more creative path with his

career was the best move for himself, he admits that some of his more
academic coursework has helped him succeed as well.
For example, He noted how business and marketing classes that
he took at Dartmouth provided him with integral knowledge he needs
on a day-to-day basis at Animoto.
Finding your place in life is not a direct path, it is a journey. I am
happy to say I found my final destination.

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