Uncommon amongst uncommon by Andrew

Uncommon amongst uncommon by Andrew - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

Success is a war. In that war lay battles of varying calibers: some monumental while others are minuscule. And as you spend more time on the battlefield, you will begin to witness the facets at play that become ever-more evident, as do expansive. I continue to fight for my success as every day is filled with new conquests, yet my war is far from finished. My definition of success is simply:

To be the uncommon amongst the uncommon

Growing up in the inner-city, I was exposed to a culture that acted as a breeding ground for failure. Teenagers would skip school to go indulge in illegal activities, teachers wouldn’t care as they expected us to fail, and parents were always working. Eventually, I wouldn’t care about school as my teachers didn’t either. I had my own environment of success - being a scholar - yet here I was, defeated by my own mind. Unable to see the purpose in trying if nobody would help.

As I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, observing each individual popcorn texture I realized I strayed away from my dream of success. I was everything everyone told me I'd be, which was nothing. It was common though as a lot of teenagers where i’m Their vision of success is flawed when they are young. But I couldn’t stomach the fact that I was nothing but an insecure, lost kid. That day bred the idea that I carried onto my life every time my mind wanted to quit:

I have to be the outlier that succeeds.

Fully submerged in a world that made me uncomfortable, I grew. My war against my mind has been declared as I no longer held a masquerade. I saw every battle that would ensue when I decided to participate in this war. My first battle I would ever embark to complete was to earn my sunrise. The first obstacle was simply waking up and not being tempted to go to sleep. Then I would follow to make my bed, and go on my run. The motonoy of this battle everyday was uncomfortable - running completely tired - but I did something nobody else did in my area. I was closer to my success.

Following my first successful battle, I had to reintroduce myself into my education. The fear of looking clueless used to burden me. It was an insecurity my mind created to fester so I wouldn’t have to go back. However, I was not going to simply accept it, I studied as much as I could. Teachers would say I was going down a pathway they expected and it just consisted of failure. Students would group with them saying school wasn’t important. Nobody believed in me but myself. I knew I had to become the outlier that succeeded past school.

Through time, I saw myself change. I was a student athlete in high-school wrestling and my mind expanded with knowledge I considered jargon. Eventually, I would be accepted into my dream school, Baylor University. The definition of success I had - To be the outlier that succeeds - was no longer a dream but a reality. I was uncommon amongst the people that we’re in my life. However, I knew compared to the students at Baylor University, I was nothing more than common. That mentality birthed the idea of being uncommon amongst the uncommon.

So as I look forward into my college years, I believe that my success would derive from my ability to show the work I put myself in. To exceed athletically while also being able to complete the highest academic standing possible. Along my journey, it would be a success if I am able to inspire others. For as I have worked tirelessly against my mind to achieve where I am, I still have a long way to go.