Breaking Point by Andrew

Breaking Point by Andrew - August 2014 Scholarship Essay

The road to success is riddled with failures. Failures make and break people. Mistakes happen, but it is how one confronts and deals with them that define a person. I changed my way of thinking in ways I didn’t think I could at the time.

My high school experience was mediocre at best. I took challenging courses for fun and passed them. I didn’t necessarily do as well as I’d like but I never really experienced failure. It was not until my senior year in my Advanced Placement (AP) Economics class that I truly experienced failure.

I truly could not grasp AP Econ. As one may suspect, I was failing, terribly. Perhaps, it was the dreaded senioritis, or end of high school jitters. I have no idea, and I have no excuses. What made this experience horribly excruciating, was if I did not pass I would not graduate. It was then I realized I needed to understand Econ and quick. But how does one do this? I have never been a situation like this before. The amount of stress I had accumulated was unbearable. I’ve always been one to do things on my own and I have always been stubborn in that regard. I talked with my teacher constantly to find out what I needed to do to boost my grade. Six weeks had passed with no improvement. It was nearly the point of no return; I had to make a change.

I believe strength is the willingness to change and adapt. My stubbornness got me nowhere and I was being silly not asking for help. I had to let go of my pride and ego. It was not till I came to terms with myself, that I finally asked for help. After discussing various options with my teacher, I was able to find a tutor. When I first asked for help it was odd and felt very foreign to me. I felt defeated and part of me wanted nothing to do with it. If not for the constant encouragement of friends and family, my pride would have gotten the better of me. I stuck through it and I am a better person for it. I grew more than anticipated and the results showed. I barely passed and became a happy graduate.

I was able to change and adapt ultimately making me stronger as an individual. I learned that it was okay to ask for help if needed. It is never too late to change and you can better yourself when you least expect it. Sometimes you need to experience some darkness before you can reach the light. I had a change of perspective that helped me grow significantly, and I am grateful for this experience.