Be Involved by Alexander

Be Involved by Alexander - November 2019 Scholarship Essay

From the time I was eight years old I have been involved in organized sports. Through the years these experiences taught me a strong sense of dedication and commitment. These are attributes instilled in me not only by my parents but even further by my coaches. One coach in particular was a man that taught us the skills we needed to win but also the grace to lose. He taught us how to be respectful and how to be resilient. This was a man that from a very young age repeatedly reminded us that our integrity is our most valuable asset. I will never forget his speech at our last team dinner. Many tears were shared and his message was simple. He reminded us that our ability in sports will come and go, games will be won and lost, and that when we get into high school his one and only hope for us was to be involved. His wish for us was to explore every avenue, not only in sports but more importantly to join every club and support any interest driven group that we wanted to be a part of. Coach encouraged us to use this as our guide to developing not only our friendships but also our opinions and our life goals. When my coach urged us be brave enough to step outside what and who we know it excited me to be more and do more. When I got into high school I found myself joining those groups and becoming not just a member but a leader. Groups like DECA, FBLA, Student Council, Spanish Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, Business Honor Society, and National Honor Society all helped me find my way in a new school and more importantly they helped me grow as a student and as a person. I quickly found my comfort zone in collaborating with my various groups. The experience was such a positive one for me I would encourage others to join, not only the groups I was a part of but any club or group. I found myself in my own way sharing the advice that was shared with me by a man I trusted and admired so much. Looking back now I realize what our coach was really saying was there was so much more potential inside us, and we owed it to ourselves to explore those options and exploits our talents. My contribution to my high school was to be a visible and approachable leader and advocate for being involved. I actively shared the importance of making the groups, the clubs, the sports, the community involved events be part of their high school experience. I found a passion in teaching my peers the importance of allowing all of these experiences and lessons assist them in molding their path and encouraging their futures. We hear so much about pay if forward, I hope that I inspired the underclassmen to continue to enhance the student body community and pay forward the advice that I was given and I then shared with so many. I hope this advice can spread and make Oconomowoc High School a welcome place where everyone can find an inspiring place to be involved.