The Rekindled Sparks by Alyssa

The Rekindled Sparks by Alyssa - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

I recall sounds of clapping and cheering as everyone around me yelled my name. My surroundings were filled with excitement as my exuberant voice echoed. They all demanded an encore, so I belted out another Vietnamese folk song. A warm and luminous glow ignited inside of me as I brought smiles to the faces around me. That was me at age five, singing along to my favorite songs in my crowded living room with my family.

As years passed by, I fell into the dim years of adolescence. I suddenly changed from this bright girl into a timid and lonely young adult. It began the day I delivered a presentation in my sixth grade Geography class. When the teacher called my name, the time around me dramatically froze as my heartbeat grew so rapidly that I felt thumps in my chest. My mind grew blank as I stood up; I couldn’t muster a single word. In those thirty seconds, all confidence I had once known burned into a heap of ashes.

After that moment, I was dismayed every time I spoke in front of people. Not only did it affect my grades, it detrimentally affected my self-esteem. I would stare into the mirror pointing out the negative qualities in myself. “Not courageous enough”; “not outgoing enough”; even “not capable enough” would scream back at me every time I saw my reflection. I felt as if my life sank deeper with this anchor of fear, while everyone else seemed to soar higher.

During freshman year of high school, I attempted a bold move. I signed up for Vovinam, also known as Vietnamese Martial Arts. I needed something to push me out of the containment of my comfort zone. I struggled through the first few months trying to remember every kick and form. Through hard work, my techniques noticeably improved. I even began to see my whole character change, and I started crawling outside of the shell I had built around myself.

On the day of my level up exam, I had to execute moves in front of parents, students, and judges. I was just as terrified as when I was standing in that sixth grade classroom. Before the shadows of fear could reach me, I managed to push beyond the constraints of my mind and focus on the contractions of my muscles. A small spark ignited a sense of determination, causing me to thrust out my fist for the first punch. From then on, everything clicked into place. That sense of fiery confidence, which once was lost, had been rekindled again.

My radiance that day triggered a domino effect of remarkable events that tested the boundaries of my newfound flash of courage. I conquered my tedious English Oral Presentation for the International Baccalaureate Diploma, I allowed my personality to shine in my interview for a prestigious scholarship, and I even won the election for President in Interact and Med Club. I am inspired to see how far this courage will take me, whether it’s preparing for interviews for medical school or battling sickness by becoming a Pediatrician.

I stand up straight and courageously walk to the center of the room. All of the loud chatter softens, and I feel the attention of everyone in the room gravitate towards me. To calm my wavering hands, I take a deep breath and let out a relieved smile. As pre-rehearsed words spill out of my mouth, I feel a familiar warm glow inside of me as I watch the smiles on the faces around me. I am no longer five years old, singing folk songs in my crowded living room. This is me at age seventeen, preparing for my Valedictorian speech in front of my family in that same crowded living room.