Lessons from a Cancer Journey by Benjamin

Benjamin's entry into Varsity Tutor's May 2022 scholarship contest

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Lessons from a Cancer Journey by Benjamin - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

I have been playing football since I was in elementary school. Football has taught me many lessons over the years, including how to keep your head up when you face adversity. Something that I never signed up for but that has also taught me life lessons was my experience with cancer.

My oldest sister, Brendi, was 12 years-old and I was five years-old when she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer. It happened right before she started high school and she spent her entire freshman year and most of her sophomore year being home schooled while she went through treatment. She was able to return to school for her junior year even though she was still going through chemotherapy.  I was so young that I don’t remember a lot but I remember that my mom was sometimes away at the hospital for long periods of time. I knew that all of Brendi’s hair fell out because she was sick and I tried to be as helpful as I could.

Brendi taught me how to persevere. She went through over three years of treatment and managed to finish high school and college. She became the first black student body president at Campbell University, finished with two degrees and then went on to graduate school. She never let her circumstances keep her from pursuing her dreams. She is very successful at her age and is a great role model. Brendi has always been there for me and gives me advice that I can use in life. She has achieved a lot and I aspire to become as successful as she is. She has taught me that I can accomplish anything that I set out to achieve, to cherish the things that bring me joy and that tomorrow is never promised. I am grateful for the lessons that I learned as I watched her fight for her life and I don’t think I will ever look at challenges the same way.

I am looking forward to going to college to continue my football career and I plan to major in Business with a focus on entrepreneurship. I think that one of the great things about being an entrepreneur is being able to create employment opportunities for other people. I know that it won’t be easy but I have such great life lessons to carry with me thanks to football and to Brendi’s journey with cancer.

I am applying for this scholarship to assist my parents with the cost of my college education. My parents have had to take out loans to put my siblings through college. My older brother is going to be a junior in college next year and I have a sister who is now in pharmacy school. I was recruited to play football for Randolph Macon but as a Division 3 school, they do not offer athletic scholarships. It is up to me to find money to help ease the burden on my parents. Thank you for your consideration.

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