Dear naturago91,
You have a limit on the length of your essays, so I think you will have to determine if you need to address your career divergence in the optional essay when you begin to draft your essay questions. It is not a deal-breaker to have minimal extracurriculars post-college. However, I do think you need to give a little explanation to your AA degree and short tenure in the other career path in your application.
Good luck,
Lisa