Cornelius Range V | Graduating like a Pokémon master

Once upon a time, in a world not so far away, a 10-year-old boy accompanied by his faithful ‘electric-type’ pet rat left home to pursue his dream of becoming a Pokémon master.

To earn such a prestigious title, he would have to capture and train every type of creature known to man. Over the course of 14 seasons of an animated television series, he has continued to pursue his dream against all odds. While Ash Ketchum’s journey around the world may be fictional, there are lessons we can take away from his story. Fiction inspires the best reality.

When you ask a 10-year-old child about his or her aspirations, you brace yourself for goals that are lofty, fantastical and whimsical. As a child, I dreamt of becoming an astronaut. I wanted to dance on the moon and walk among the stars — until the film Alien helped me to realize that space travel and the possibility of encountering bloodthirsty alien lifeforms might not be the best fit for me.

At the same time, though, these goals are often manifestations of altruistic ambitions. I’m sure many of my peers had dreams of improving the lives of others.

For example, College senior David Agyekum dreamt of becoming a comedian as a child. He now hopes to use that aspiration to “change the world” through his comedy.

But Agyekum is an exception. At Penn, dreams tend to take a backseat during On-Campus Recruiting.

More than half of the members of the Class of 2010 who found jobs after graduating entered the fields of financial services and consulting. And more than half of engineering- or science-related majors forgo career opportunities in related fields to instead take jobs in information technology, consulting or finance, according to Career Services.

Students are drawn to jobs in these industries partly because they offer high salaries and partly because students are institutionalized to give convention more respect than it deserves. When faced with a choice between taking a chance on their dreams and entering a more stable industry, students more often than not choose the safe route.

Students who had wanted to be actors or start nonprofits at the beginning of their collegiate careers conclude by signing contracts with consulting firms. The scientist with the technical prowess to design a cure for the common cold might just be working at J.P Morgan.

Earlier this semester, I was almost swept away by the allure of On-Campus Recruiting and the pressure to secure a job for next year as soon as possible. However, as I neared the end of my first application, I asked myself whether Ash Ketchum would put his dream of being a Pokémon master on hold for two years to pad his wallet by doing a job that was irrelevant to fulfilling his ultimate dream.

The answer, of course, is no.

A lot of students believe that padding their wallets for two years is an essential part in their plans to achieve their dreams. Unlike Ash Ketchum, new graduates have bills to pay.

So it’s understandable for students to stray from the paths that their hearts lead them to — but only as long as they don’t lose sight of their end goals.

Engineering junior Federico Castro offered sage advice by pointing out, “There is a thin line between being practical and giving up on your dreams.”

If we take away anything from Ash Ketchum’s adventures, it should be to revere the dream and not allow other considerations to prevent it from ever being reached.

Ash Ketchum’s earning power might never match that of a hedge fund manager, but I don’t think Ash would care at all once he becomes a Pokémon master.

Doing what you love for a living is invaluable.

Cornelius Range is a College senior from Memphis, Tenn. His email address is crang@sas.upenn.edu. Plead the Fifth appears every Wednesday.

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