If Not Now, Then When? by Ashley

If Not Now, Then When? by Ashley - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

Education. A word that means so much to some and so little to others. Imagine growing up in a household where college was never spoken or even thought about. College was never a topic that was spoken in my house. "We didn't go and look at us? Do you really think a college education is something you actually need? If you work hard, you can make a living." However, that statement never settled well with me.

That's when I began thinking about what my next steps in life would be. I began thinking and thinking about what I could do without continuing education, but nothing came to mind because I had something else on my mind. I have always had a passion to help others. When I was younger, I received help from an audiologist who diagnosed me as a hard-of-hearing student. She helped me realize I want to be able to help others in a similar way. That is when I began taping #NextStep on my mirrors, in my car, in my locker at school, and everywhere else I frequently visited. I knew that in order to help people the way I wanted to, I must take the next step and continue my education, even if it meant doing it on my own. Then came another question, "If not now, then when?"

The hashtag #NextStep led me to where I am now. I began researching colleges and universities all around, along with scholarship opportunities like this one. Every little bit helps, especially when you are funding college all on your own. My dream is to be just like the one person who helped me: an audiologist. However, in order to do this job, I had to go on and receive a higher education and continue on with my next step. Finally, I found my perfect fit: Oklahoma State University, home to a speech pathology major that would lead me to graduate school to become an audiologist. With its own clinic on campus and one of few universities who are working towards providing sign language as a major on their campus, I knew this is where I belonged. I knew this was my next step.

The hashtag #NextStep provided me with a positive outlook, even when nobody believed in the education I knew I needed to receive. It almost seemed like a calling to me. I have been called to help others with similar problems as I have had. In order to do so, I had to take the initiative to fund my schooling in some way, shape, or form in order to follow my passions. I chose this hashtag because it gave me the opportunity to find what was truly important to me and I believe others could do the same with this hashtag. Although it may be vague and interpreted many ways, taking the next step is very important when doing anything in life. Although I am now in college pursuing my dreams, I still hang #NextStep in all the important places to remind me that I am truly doing what is best for me.