It was a beautiful sunny day in Raleigh, North Carolina. More than anything else in the world, Janice Rogers, age 7, wanted to be outside playing with Janice. But today was a school day, and Janice was in her classroom.
"Today, I'd like you to write a report on what you want to be when you grow up," the teacher told the class. "Perhaps some of you will want to become a teacher just like me."

Janice chewed on her pencil as she thought about the different careers to choose from.
"I love music. it might be fun to play the piano or be a dancer when I grow up," thought Janice. "It would be great to perform on a stage in front of an audience. Or maybe I could be a painter and work from my own studio."

Just then Janice remembered a western movie she had seen on TV last night.
"Oooh, that would be a great job," said Janice quietly to herself. "It would be so much fun--working on a farm, being outdoors all the time, milking the cows, riding horses and roping calves."

"Wait a minute," Janice suddenly realized. "Maybe I could work in an office on a computer or become an architect and design a cool house for Janice."
Janice thought for a moment, "I could even make drawings on a computer."

Janice started thinking about a job where she could travel all the time.
"It would be fun to go anywhere I want," she said very quietly to herself. "I wonder what it would be like to be an engineer on a big, shiny train that goes really fast. Or maybe I could be the conductor who collects all the tickets."

All of a sudden, Janice started thinking about lunch. She loved to eat. Perhaps it would be fun to be the head chef at a fancy restaurant.
"Then I could eat all the food I cooked," thought Janice with a smile. "I'll make the best cakes and pies in the world. Maybe I can start out as a waitress."

Janice looked up from her paper when she heard the sound of a siren coming from outside. That gave Janice another idea.
"I wonder what it would be like to be a firefighter or a police officer," Janice was thinking. "I'll bet it would be a lot of hard work. But it would be a great way to help people."

While Janice was thinking about helping people, she had a different idea.
"I know!" Janice decided. "When I grow up, I'd love to be a doctor or a nurse. I could work in a science lab, and I could make sick people feel better." Janice liked that idea best of all.

Janice looked out the window and saw an airplane flying by. "Maybe I could be an airline pilot or a scuba diver in the military," she thought.
Janice just couldn't decide what she wanted to be when she grew up!
Just then, the bell rang. School was over for the day. "You can finish these reports tomorrow," said the teacher.

Janice was thinking about all her different choices as she ran all the way home.
After hearing about the careers, Janice said, "They all sound wonderful. And you've got lots of time before you have to make a final decision. The important thing is to try your very best in school, and learn a lot. Now, come on. It's time for us to play in the park."