Breaking From by Abigail

Breaking From by Abigail - June 2021 Scholarship Essay

I was not always one of the most out-going in a room, but probably one of the least. I have always been afraid of judgment or being awkward in front of others. In the first grade, my mother would come and sit in the back of the classroom with my younger sister to just be there. I guess that is a testament to how shy and scared I was, an obstacle I battle with each and every day.

I knew in high school that shy little girl would have to change as life was progressing. I had to take initiative and be willing to connect with people and seek out opportunities for me to mature, grow, and improve my chances for success in adulthood. For me, this led me to form a bond with an unlikely physical education teacher named Ms. Bykonen.

Dance class with Ms. Bykonen has had a great impact on me. In my first dance class in my sophomore year, I knew very few people and was afraid to show my knowledge of dance I had been cultivating through Instagram and YouTube videos. When the time for our final dance was present, I had to decide whether I wanted to work with people who were not so good at dancing or work solo. I chose to work solo. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, I got to hear my peers cheer me on and recognize me for my dance. In the following semester, I took dance, I took more initiative in my group dances by choreographing and leading instead of hanging back and doing what others said.

As I was working on my dance, Ms. Bykonen would serve as a helping hand to help me become more comfortable; I would practice on my own with her and she would encourage and uplift me.

Today, as I finish out my senior year and attend her class one last time, I am reminded of the small sophomore girl who could not get her voice out, and now, the more confident senior girl thanks to Ms. Bykonen.

My involvement in this atmosphere of connection and aid has created a more social peer, listener, and contributor. Through this bond, I have learned to be the person engaging others and acts when others struggle, a helping hand to those I once was like. The once shell of a little girl has broken out and is finally ready to fly out on her own into college.