Not Useless Anymore by Ashley

Not Useless Anymore by Ashley - July 2024 Scholarship Essay

The variety of lessons I learned this year are all connected by a common theme. They have mostly been about having success in the future. Those lessons about my goals and dreams stuck with me the most, so I put them together to create one that explains all of them.

If I am not willing to put the work in, dreaming about my success is useless.

I heard this countless times before, but it only got through to me now. Reality hit me when I started volunteering at a hospital and got the opportunity to shadow the cRNAs for the summer. It was a great experience to see how hard-working the employees were while maintaining a work-life balance. The nurses did not keep anything hidden about how strenuous their job is, especially what it takes to get there.
Talking about potential schools and scholarships made me anxious about how I would do it. Despite my grades, I was not used to putting strenuous effort into my education. Mostly, I had 90s in my on-level courses, but I did not understand the topics. I ignored the latter statement to pursue Advanced Placement classes, believing it would be possible for me to keep satisfactory grades with the same amount of effort I put in before. I could not have been more wrong. Maintaining a satisfactory grade became a struggle, and my performance in other classes was also affected. I was aware that I needed to change my academic habits if I wanted to accomplish my goals. Surfing the internet for advice and resources became my pastime. Endless hours of searching, only to leave empty-handed and rendered. My experience was only the prequel to learning my lesson.

Once I started volunteering at the hospital, I gathered information about financial aid and different nursing pathways. Everyone I talked to said that it would not come easy. Pursuing a nursing anesthetist career will be difficult, and there will be times when I will want to give up. These conversations opened my eyes to the errors I committed throughout my high school career, but they also made me more determined to correct my mistakes. I am very grateful for the nurses who helped me realize this and encouraged me to work for what I want to achieve.

This essay is a testimony of my self-destructive habit and my effort in overcoming it. Each time I consider giving up, I will remember the words of encouragement said to me. I am determined to achieve my dreams, so I will continue to grow my discipline and ensure that I  push through. I will put the work in so that my dreams of success are not useless.