Others by Alyson

Others by Alyson - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

Some high school graduates may view college as a time to focus on themselves. Hey, they are out of the house now and can do what they want, right? They can party without their mom telling them to get home at a certain time. It is their life now. I, on the other hand, see college differently. I see going to college as a chance for me to focus on others and seek to show them someone cares.

Since second grade, I have been homeschooled. While I do have many friends, I do not always get to spend time with them. So now that I am going to college, this gives me the opportunity to be around more people. I live off being around people and seeking how to show them that someone cares about them. My friends think I am odd. Who in the world cares about others? Well, I do! While students are excited to leave home and venture out beyond their hometown, life will hit them that, "hey, now you are fully responsible for yourself". That can be a scary realization! They may begin to feel all alone in the world. For what college student will call come and say "Mommy, I miss you"?

In this world of self-promotion, many people do not stop to care for others. Now, you may say, "well what about boyfriends and girlfriends?" Yes, they may show they care but do they sincerely care for the other, or is their girl/boyfriend there so the other gets what they want? In this "Me-me" culture, I think there is a lack of showing you care about people. Therefore, I want to show I care about my fellow college students. Whether that is giving a girl a bouquet of flowers after she and her boyfriend broke up, or hugging a friend whose grandmother just passed away, or giving a teacher a little gift, any caring action can go a long way. This is one reason why I chose the word "others" to describe why I wish to attend college.

Not only do I want to show I care about students who are nearing the end of their education path, but I also want to show I care about the students who are just beginning. Why should I care about little kids? Well, I struggled in school as a child. I know the hardship of pouring hours into my school work to barely even receive an "A" on my school work, while my brother could glance at his notes from his classes and make an easy 100. I grew frustrated with school and wanted to quit at times, but I knew I could not give up. I had to keep pushing on and give my school work the best that I had. Now, in my senior year, I still struggle in certain subjects, but I have learned the importance of not giving up and that pressing on is the best thing I can do. Therefore, I want to show children who are beginning the path of education, that I care enough about them to teach them to learn from the get-go that they cannot give up when school becomes hard. They need to push on and keep going. If they give up on their schooling, what else will they give up on as they grow older? Relationships? Jobs? Life? If they can learn, as a young child, that pressing on will help them achieve their goals, then they will succeed in the world.

My dream is to seek to help and show people I care. I know I can reach so many more people if I attend college and then go on to help children. However, without this scholarship, I cannot reach my dream. I need your help.