What's Really Important by Abigail

What's Really Important by Abigail - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

As a high school student, parents and teachers are supposed to be the biggest support factors in our life. They are supposed to guide us and help us; be there when something goes wrong and try to protect us---but we all know that's not the reality.

Hi, I'm an almost 18 year-old girl going to a Des Moines suburb high school. Where everyone is harassed online and people get pushed and shoved of the football stadium benches. And what does my school do about it? Nothing... We learn to stand up for ourselves, how to love and then be left, how to study and then fail. We figure it out for ourselves and then get the credit stolen b7y the teachers, by our own parents and other "influencers" in our lives.

The real support that these "influencers" in our lives aren't seeing are the people we don't talk about. We tend to just give into them saying their ways work; when in reality it was a coach who isn't the Varsity head coach, but helps everyone out in real ways that we need for real life.

I'm a wrestling manager and it's my 5th year doing this. I spend half of my school year from 3-6 during the week and 8-5 on Saturdays cleaning mats, organizing stats, and making sure the boys will be eligible for that next match. Every year I wait for this season to come around. Wrestling can get so much hate and sometimes a bad rep. But I've had nothing but joy from this program. I'm welcomed and part of a family.

Being the third child can get kind of lonely. Both sisters moved up to college and my parents are always checking up on them and not so much me. The wrestling coaches have done nothing but appreciate and praise even the little things I do to try and keep the program organized and running. They are what gets me through the school year during the winter. I look forward to school because I get to go spend time at a program that keeps me included. You can find your own little niche too I promise.