What would your senior quote be? Discuss what it says about you. by Adrienne

What would your senior quote be? Discuss what it says about you. by Adrienne - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

My senior year quote will be Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Along with living our lives according to the teachings of Christ, Christians often forget the great necessity of placing our lives in the hands of God. If we allow God to have authority over our lives, He will guide us through every ounce of suffering and pain. God has a beautiful calling for all of us in this life. Our happiness reaches its maximum when living out our specific vocations from God. I learned that suffering is an essential part of earthly life. The end result of our suffering is eternal happiness in Heaven, a reality I cannot even begin to imagine.
The Bible quote and its insight came to be through my collegiate recruiting process. Any teenager in the process needs to succeed academically while training and improving at their sport year-round. Simultaneously, these student-athletes must travel around the country playing their sport in order to be seen by various college coaches. I had worked towards my dream of playing college softball at a prestigious university for the past three years. I communicated with their coach for a full year and did everything necessary academically and athletically to meet the criteria of the university. I traveled all over the East Coast and Mid-West playing in front of coaches, earned a 4.75 cumulative GPA in my Honors and AP classes, and put in at least 75 hours of online studying for the ACT. Despite meeting their criteria, the coach eventually lost interest in me as a player, resulting in the biggest setback of my young life.
Although being a collegiate recruit is challenging, I have always been internally motivated to work hard. I was prepared to use these qualities more than I ever had before when starting my junior year of high school. In addition to school, I spent at least 25 hours each week on homework, studying for the ACT, and improving my softball skills. When I finally met the criteria, I was confident in myself and certain that God was calling me to attend this university. I invested hundreds of hours of my time and had trouble trusting God with my future after the rejection. I certainly perceived this news as a setback, but I now see that its negative results were short-term.
I did lose all confidence in myself, and felt inadequate as a student and an athlete. However, I remembered Proverbs 3:5-6, and focused on the long-term effects. The prestigious university motivated me to score highly on my ACT. A 32 is in the 98th percentile for all colleges in the country, giving me a decent chance to attend any university. I began to pray a Rosary every day, and my relationship with God was eventually renewed and stronger than ever. Having a relationship with God through my Catholic faith allowed me to regain my confidence and continue to work diligently.
Although this setback changed my future plans, the quote helped put me back on track to follow my will from God. Before this experience, I felt that I could independently control my own destiny through hard-work. No matter how hard we work and pray, God always has control over our lives, which is why we must trust Him. I pray every day that God will speak to my heart and guide me in the right direction more often, just as He did with Proverbs 3:5-6!