Conquering My Nemesis by Arshi

Conquering My Nemesis by Arshi - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

In my sophomore year, I was chosen to be Captain of the Ocean Bowl B Team at my school. Instead of excitement, however, I felt uneasy. I didn’t feel prepared for the role, especially considering my performance at the previous year’s competition. While I had contributed largely to the portions that involved collaborating with other teammates, I faltered when it came to the individual portion of the competition: the dreaded toss-up questions.
When one was asked, time seemed to slow down. The buzzer would feel precarious in my sweaty palms, as I struggled to manage my racing thoughts. Before I could get myself in control, someone else would buzz in and we would already be onto the next one.
I knew that if I wanted to be a good leader and represent my school well, I would have to figure out some way to conquer my nemesis. It was a rough start; whenever we practiced toss-up questions during meetings, I couldn’t muster the courage to buzz in. If I couldn’t do it surrounded by friends and classmates, how could I do it during competition?
In order to try and restore confidence in myself, I focused on doing what I was good at: helping others. I worked with my teammates to learn about their interests and divided up the material into different areas that meshed with each of our strengths, which made the wide expanse of material that needed to be studied seem less intimidating.
As I dove into the worlds of tides, ocean zones, and hydrothermal vents, I was able to rediscover why I joined the team in the first place. Where else would I be able to learn about immortal jellyfish, giant tubeworms and chemosynthetic bacteria? By reminding myself of my interest, I instilled confidence in my own abilities. During club meetings, I participated more, practicing for hours on my own as well. Eventually, we arrived at the regional competition.
When the first toss-up question was read, I waited for my nerves to kick in. I watched time slow down, but this time, my thoughts weren’t racing. I was focused and confident.
I got the most toss-up questions right in that competition out of any member on the A or B Team. The next year, I was A Team Captain and helped us place 2nd in Regionals. Not only did these experiences teach me about the rewards that come from practice, but it also demonstrated what it means to be a good leader and the importance of having confidence in myself. This confidence was essential in pursuing my passions; shortly after the competition, I reached out to an oceanography PhD student at a local university in the hopes of conducting research with him. For the next year, I helped him analyze the chemical composition of mollusk shells to better understand the depths at which mollusks spend different stages of their lives. My experiences as Ocean Bowl captain helped me reaffirm my passion and abilities in relation to oceanography while gaining the necessary confidence to further my interest in the field.