A Mountain Climbed, a Lesson Learned by Amil

A Mountain Climbed, a Lesson Learned by Amil - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my elementary years, I had been a curious child. Well known for my questions, I sought to learn as much information as my little brain could possibly hold. As such, I was a great student. Always straight A’s, near perfect attendance. My brain was more the analytical and factual type, so I naturally excelled in math, science, and history. However, I had my Achilles’ tendon: reading. Something about the gray area of a subject that was up to interpretation did not make sense to me. Not only this, but to be graded for accuracy on a topic that is up for interpretation was especially puzzling. Regardless of my confusion, I pushed through the reading courses for most of my elementary years with relative ease.
Fifth grade. The grade that everything changed. The year began like all others before it. However, this year was slightly different. In preparation for middle school, in which we had 7 class periods in a school day, we had 3 separate periods: science, math, and ELA (English Language Arts). I was inquisitive as usual in science and math, but I struggled in ELA. Yes, I struggled. The straight A student now consistently earned C’s on all of his ELA tests. So what changed? I hadn’t become dumber, had I? I continued getting C’s throughout the year. One day, I was more tired than usual when taking a test. I usually would painstakingly work through the questions, arguing it out in my head. This time, however, I was too tired to care and went with my gut. Lo and behold! I managed to score better?
So I had finally figured it out; my real Achilles’ tendon was not ELA, but second-guessing. Allowing second-guessing to limit my abilities for as long as I had was definitely my biggest educational failure. However, I am glad that I figured that out when I did. Moving into middle school, I was forced to take more tests than ever before! Conscious of my second-guessing, I no longer feared tests, but conquered them. Each A was now a badge on my academic record, a testament to my ability to learn from my mistakes and grow stronger. I carry this mentality to this day, and hope to do so into my college years, making my fifth grade self proud.