Putting the ART in Smart by Ariana

Putting the ART in Smart by Ariana - September 2023 Scholarship Essay

At the age of 12, I thought I was a genius. I had always gotten all A’s and was at the top of my class when it came to math. I was always told that I was so smart for getting into an exam school. Or that this school will offer so many opportunities and gateways into the STEM world, since it’s a school revolving around math and sciences. But once I hit 8th grade, things changed for me. My interest for those subjects quickly wore off. Throughout most of my time in school, I’ve been focused on nothing but trying to enjoy math and science without caring for anything else. And though I was good at the subjects, it was the kind of “good” that allowed you to only scrape by. I hate to admit it, I didn’t really find it that interesting, no matter how many times I told the people around me otherwise.
It wasn’t until 11th grade that I found anything I’m truly passionate about. During this year of highschool, I gravitated towards theater as an afterschool program and physics as one of my course subjects. Since physics was only available to students to reach 11th grade, this was the first time I enjoyed any type of science class. Theater was a new program that my school had added, and although I didn’t get lucky enough to have theater as a class, I got the chance to audition for the school’s first ever play. The thought of making history in my school only made me want it more, so when I auditioned for the lead role and got it, my excitement was through the roof.
As we began rehearsing and setting the stage for this play, I started to realize a lack of equipment and support from the school. Sure, they added the class and show, but how was it being sustained? A lot of the funds for the show had to come out of our teacher’s pocket. And though it was a big gesture, it didn’t seem right to me.
The day after the four shows, people kept coming up to me, telling me I did such a good job. I got a comedic role, so having people come up to me telling me they liked my character the best, or even that I did a good job made me feel – good. I loved knowing I had a positive impact on the school and the people around me. But this play made me realize something that I didn’t before; the school doesn’t put enough effort into the arts. What if there are more kids like me that want to impact their community with the arts? Not just the arts, but with their core subjects as well. Ever since I was able to participate in theater, my drive to be better in my academics grew. Yes, the school values math and science, but the kids inside can value much more than that. Changing this can make students feel more comfortable and willing to try new things, sparking new young minds with creativity and possibly creating a better future for the community.