Growing into the dream

Growing into the dream Story by Alexis Fizer Photos by Cammie Case Illustrations by Madelyn Wilder and Emilia Lis Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article was published, spelling the name of a source incorrectly. It has since been updated and corrected. Talisman regrets this error. For college students, going off to school is more than choosing a major. It means discovering new interests, meeting people who change how they see themselves and realizing that the career they imagined as a child may not be the one that feels right years later.  Madilyn Carter Madilyn Carter from McCreary County, Kentucky, said her path from childhood dream to college major began in the kitchen.  At 8 or 9 years old, Carter said she decided that she wanted to be a baker when she grew up. Carter said she took the thought seriously and held on to that dream as other ideas came and went. But as she grew older, another interest took shape.  Now a junior studying fashion merchandising, Carter said she traded thoughts of mixing bowls and cake batter for fashion shows, clothing racks and the possibility of creating her own brand.  “I think I’ve always been into fashion,” Carter said.  Carter said her interest in fashion became more noticeable around age 13 or 14 when she began watching fashion shows. Even before that, she said she began wanting to pick out her own clothes when she was around 7 or 8.  “There was this one pair of pink skinny jeans,” Carter said. “I was wearing those the second they got washed.”  Carter said fashion gave her a creative outlet, just as baking had.  Junior fashion merchandising student Madilyn Carter displays garments she has designed at Basil Griffin Park on Sept. 28, 2026. The two pieces on the left were featured in the White Squirrel Arts Festival talent show put on by Fashion Inc., an on-campus organization Carter is a part of. Carter said she sees a connection between fashion and baking because both allow her to be creative and incorporate entrepreneurship. She said that combination is a part of what drew her to fashion merchandising.  “I kind of always wanted to have the ability to express myself creatively,” Carter said.  Carter said her future plans remain uncertain. She said she is interested in working in fashion design or buying, and has considered starting her own brand, potentially focusing on luxury fashion or intimate apparel. She said the designers Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs have influenced the way she views the industry.  Carter said it was difficult to find a program that felt like the right fit, and some friends and family members questioned her decision.  “I don’t think my mom was surprised with what I ended up doing,” Carter said.  Looking back, Carter said she does not think the younger version of herself would be shocked by where she ended up.  “I think my little self would be really proud,” Carter said.  (Illustration by Madelyn Wilder) Prisca Ndzi Prisca Ndzi said that around 5th or 6th grade, she began singing and participating in choir. She said she also became drawn to animation and graphic design, inspired by shows such as “Steven Universe” and its creator Rebecca Sugar.  Prisca Ndzi, a user experience major from Bowling Green, showcases a few pieces of her physical art at the Garrett Plaza Gazebo on Oct. 2, 2026. Although her major’s focus is digital, she enjoys sculpture and drawing as well. Displayed in front of her is a portrait series with a focus on emotion. The cake is a sculpture that represents the fear of growing up. Ndzi said her interest in art was encouraged by her high school art teacher, Mrs. Bates. She said that when Bates left during her senior year to become an art therapist, she gave Ndzi another example of how creative interests could become part of a career.  Ndzi said she is now studying user experience.  Instead of pursuing a career as a singer or animator, she said she now hopes to design and program websites for outdoor living companies and potentially work remotely. She said her field combines technology and creativity, allowing her to build things while considering how people will interact with them.  Ndzi said her career may be different than what her younger self imagined, but the creative interests that shaped her childhood have followed her.  “I think my younger self would think what I’m doing is cool,” Ndzi said, “But I think she would make fun of how shy I’ve become.”  Outside of her major, Ndzi said she continues to pursue interests that reflect another part of who she has become. She said she is an outdoorsy person and enjoys activities like rock climbing.  (Illustration by Emilia Lis) Jacoby Brison At 6, Jacoby Brison said he imagined himself arguing cases in a courtroom. “I liked proving that I was correct,” Brison said.  Brison said he also liked dressing the part. He said as a kid, he enjoyed wearing suits, reinforcing the idea that he could become a lawyer in the future.  Then, in sixth grade, Brison said he picked up a clarinet.  “Band was a way for me and my friends to get out of taking art class,” Brison said.  Brison said he kept playing and improving. Eventually, he said, he started to enjoy it.  By high school, Brison said he started playing saxophone. He said he was selected to represent his school at an all-state band competition and performed alongside other students who shared a passion for music.  Brison said those experiences changed what he wanted for his future.  “Nothing up until that point made me feel the way playing music with my peers did,” Brison said.  Music education major Jacoby Brison from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, said he is primarily a clarinet player but feels cooler with his saxophone. He has been playing saxophone for five years. Brison poses with his saxophone outside of the Ivan Wilson Center for Fine Arts on Sept. 30, 2026, where a majority of his classes are held. Brison said his high school band director also became an important influence.  Brison said the director had a major impact on the lives of his students because he took the time to know them.  “The impact he had on our lives can’t be understated,” Brison said. “He really knew us.”  Now a senior studying music education, Brison said he plans to become a teacher rather than a lawyer. He said he is particularly interested in teaching middle school students and hopes to move to a larger city and work in its public school system.  Brison said he is also applying for programs abroad, including the Fulbright program, which could give him the opportunity to teach English outside the United States.  “I think my younger self would be happy with the decision I made,” Brison said. “I think he would be proud.” (Illustration by Emilia Lis) Dr. Amber Tackett For Dr. Amber Tackett, the question of what she wanted to be when she grew up had more than one answer. Amber Tackett grew up in Raceland, Kentucky, and graduated as a first-generation college student alongside her siblings. Tackett said she remembers an architect speaking to her class in second grade, which sparked an early interest in architecture. Art eventually became another major part of her life. Tackett said she initially wanted to become an illustrator and later majored in art, with an emphasis in painting and art history. “Illustration wasn’t really my strength, even though it was something I wanted to do,” Tackett said. Tackett said that as she considered her future, practicality began to influence her thinking.  “I remembered thinking, ‘Ok, now I need a real job,’” Tackett said.  Tackett said her mother worked as a teacher’s aide, so she eventually pursued a master’s degree in art and teaching. While substituting during school, she said she discovered that education could become more than a temporary job. She said the experience helped solidify teaching as a career path. Tackett said she spent 17 years teaching high school before beginning her first year as a full-time professor at WKU. She said becoming a professor had always been a goal, but her path toward it was shaped by the experiences and people she encountered along the way. Tackett said much of her career has been shaped by teachers and professors who influenced her. Dr. Amber Tackett is a first-year art education professor. She sits surrounded by her original artworks as well as some of her favorite art books outside of the Fine Arts Center on Sept. 29, 2026. She wears her paint-stained “Dr. T” artist’s coat, which she stained with paint by jumping on an art project during the WKU Art & Design Ice Cream Social in Fall 2026. She said she remembers a fourth-grade teacher who was “tough and old-school” but provided memorable experiences. She said her high school art teacher was an “incredible human being” who nurtured her artistic abilities and helped support her through high school. Tackett said that later on, an art history professor gave her another important example. She said seeing a woman with a doctorate working as a professor helped her realize that she wanted to pursue the same path. Tackett said that she had always loved to learn, and that love of learning eventually became part of her profession. Tackett said she recognizes now how much she changed personally along the way. She was very shy growing up but is now more extroverted. The dreams may have changed, but the reasons behind them often stayed the same: creativity, curiosity, connection and the desire to find something meaningful. For Brisom, that meant finding music. For Tackett, it meant finding education. “I think my little second-grade self would be proud of me,” Tackett said.