My Greatest Academic Achievement by Austin

My Greatest Academic Achievement by Austin - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

My Greatest Academic Achievement

Academic successes come in many different forms as well as different grades. A “C” might be considered failing to one student but a huge academic success to another. My greatest academic success came as a result of a diagnosis that is helping me achieve academic results I never thought possible. So that you will understand why this has changed my life, I wanted you to know a little about my history as a student-- because things are not always as they seem. With 6 ½ weeks to go before the end of my sophomore year, in high school I was struggling to pass another school year. I felt like such a failure. I would zone out in class, and find it very difficult to concentrate. After two years, my cumulative GPA was 2.85

I told my parents I thought ADD was my issue, and I wanted to be tested. Although they were opposed to medicating children, they had experienced the same frustration I had and agreed to the testing. After a battery of tests, the psychologist described my symptoms as classic ADD. I was relieved at the diagnosis. The very first day of medication brought a clarity I had never felt. I never zoned out. I stopped daydreaming, and was able to focus in class. The next five weeks improved my scores tremendously, and I passed all of my classes.

In my junior year of high school, my grades rose like a Phoenix from the ashes, and I achieved a 3.66 and in my senior year, I achieved a 3.57. This fall I started attending Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. In my first semester, I made the Dean’s List with a 3.6.

Instead of zoning out in class, now I get complements on my involvement. During my senior year, I received a written award from the academic booster club recognizing my hard work. One teacher wrote “Austin takes initiative and demonstrates respect and responsibility. He is a joy to have in class”. This increased focus and drive is one of the major reasons I was able to make the Dean’s List this past semester.

I am an athlete as well. As a side benefit of the renewed focus, my tennis playing has improved as well. Never before had I been ranked above #200 in the south. However, when I left for college, I was ranked #102 in the south, and #16 in Georgia. I tried out and made the men’s tennis team at Jacksonville State and have enjoyed contributing to the team this year.

Many people would regret their years of struggle, but adversity makes us who we are. Overcoming this issue has helped to define me as an achiever. I have faith that my best years academically and athletically are in front of me. It is with that same confidence and determination that I face my college years. The ADD diagnosis changed the path I was on, and because of the academic success I have achieved since then, it has opened a future that I never thought possible.
Austin McCormick