The Race by Adil

The Race by Adil - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

Life is like a track race. When the times get tough, just like the race, you have to push yourself to get to the end. During the race you might stumble or get tired. You might even want to give up and walk off the track. But you have to push on. In my race through life I have gone through a lot of struggles and hardship, but with the help of my friends and family I have managed to move on. The hardest struggle of my life has been my Junior year of high school. But one special person has helped me remember who I am and inspired me the most - my mother.

Ever since I could remember my dad has had surgeries for his eye; he has Glaucoma. Every year that I could remember he would have an eye surgery and recover, but during my junior year, he was not doing well. He has taken a lot of time off of work, so he was laid off. He is a school bus driver, he has done it for about 20 years. Since he could not drive and earn money for our family, my 19 year old sister and I had to find jobs to provide for the family. Now, when my dad wants to go somewhere, it is my job to drive him. Since I had no work experience it was hard finding a job, but I am really persistent so I did not give up. I finally got a job at McDonald's which has been a good experience, because I enjoy meeting new people everyday.

Another obstacle during junior year was that it was my first year of taking an AP class. I was not used to all the work that was required, but it did not take long for me to adjust. Before I took an AP class my essay skills were bad, but I always turned in my work on time. When It came to taking an AP class I was struggling with the essays, but made sure the homework was done. I made sure to finish my homework, because just like in my track races, when I start something I am committed to it till the end. I had to balance homework in the AP classes, along with my extracurriculars. Fast Forward to my senior year I have never done better than now. Because I went through AP classes I have a better study habit and my essays are better.

There is a person who cheers me on through the race, a person I respect so much. That person is my mother. My mother has gone through so much for me to be where I am. Both her and my father made the decision before I was born to leave Ethiopia and create a better life for my siblings and me. But the reason I respect my mom more is the pain she goes through everyday for her work as a janitor at the University of Minnesota. Everyday she says her back hurts or her legs hurt. The saddest part is she gets no rest. She works from 3pm until midnight, and sometimes I see her come home when I am working on my AP homework. She hasn’t taken any drugs which amazes me that she would go through all the pain and still push through. This shows that she really cares about me and my siblings getting ahead in life.

I have made a promise to myself that I will be like her. I will take on what life gives me, both the good and the bad, and become great. I also have promised myself that I will find a high paying job so that my mom will not have to work anymore. I was hoping to be an Aerospace Engineer because I really enjoy space and I liked the engineering class I took in 9th grade, so I combined space and engineering. There have been a few times when I have thought of giving up, but then I remember that I won’t let my mom down.

Yes, life is hard, but no one said it was going to be easy. It up to a person to find someone to cheer for them, someone that inspires them, and to stay away from those that will hold you back. The people who cheered me on in the race was my parents. Just like my them, I will work hard in my race through life so when it comes to the end, I will enjoy the reward. But my race has not ended yet I still have my life ahead of me.