Embrace It by Alasdair

Embrace It by Alasdair - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

With a confident strut he walked to the podium, and began his discourse.

“I was an A-B student in high school, played sports had friends, drank malt at the local soda fountain. I got into a decent public college, but as soon as orientation was over so was learning. I cut class with my friends and laughed at the idea of academics. Waking at noon every day I was a rare sight in class. After I got my term paper back with the curt note ‘perfunctory,’ I knew I was on a downward spiral; I did not care, secure in the fact that I could retake the class.

Then one day an old friend from high school, a college senior now, decided to step in. Striding into my dorm casting a disapproving eye over the piles of gym clothes stacked knee deep, he said to me, ‘You can either have fun now and work hard the rest of your life making up for it, or work hard now and have fun the rest of your life’.

While it seems like an obvious realization now it had not hit me until then that the rest of life is determined by what happens now.”

I had not expected such a moving speech on the first day of class from the basketball coach. These words have resonated with me throughout my high school career driving me to achieve. When I feel like slacking off or skipping homework I mentally reference this speech.

Entering the jungle of high school is a confusing process. The landscape changes from middle school; new friends and alliances form and the stakes are higher. It is paramount as you make your way through the thick forest of high school that you never lose track of academia.

You are not entering this wilderness alone. In the fear of the first day we often forget that our experience is not unique. High school has been done millions of times. You can do it. The goal of your teachers is to help you learn; use them as resources to grow. With the help of my math teacher I have gone from remedial mathematics in middle school to junior level college mathematics. My journey began with my Algebra I teacher Glen Dawson. When I entered Algebra I, I was not driven to achieve in mathematics, but as the class progressed Glen noticed I saw the mathematics differently than other students did. Eventually he became my mentor providing me with a map through the wild. I asked him why of all the promising students he chose to take me on. He replied, “You asked such unique questions in class; you saw beyond what was presented.” Interactions with teachers in high school hold the keys to many educational opportunities; they want to provide these to students who show promise and motivation. I took advantage of this by asking questions, which gave clarification and additional depth on topics presented in class. It is easy to go overboard with questions—ask too many and you look like you’re trying to impede learning rather than enhance it.

Teachers are the gatekeepers to knowledge in high school, but upperclassmen have already opened some gates; much information can be gained from them. For example, which teachers are “good”, which teach the most, and which should be avoided. The stereotype of class warfare, while perpetuated in dramas about high school, is a thing of the 1950’s. As an upperclassman I am actively encouraged by the administration to act as a guide for incoming students. I have had freshmen ask me diverse questions such as what teachers are “good” or how can I get extra fries at the cafeteria. I welcome these quandaries; they serve as a means for me to contribute my legacy to my school.

Though it may seem fun to mock academics as you enter high school, it is paramount to your future that you embrace all that it is academia. Reference the immortal words, “You can either have fun now and work hard the rest of your life making up for it, or work hard now and have fun the rest of your life.”