Necessary Lessons by Breanna

Necessary Lessons by Breanna - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

You should shine as bright as the sun that guides your wildest dreams. Many people wonder whether their goals are achievable or are just a far-fetched dream; I was once one of these skeptical people. After my junior year in my Mechatronics class, I learned that you can accomplish all of your goals when you put your heart and soul into it.
Walking into my Mechatronics class, I was already placed with a disadvantage; in a classroom full of men, I was the only female. With that challenge placed firmly in my mind, I fought to gain the education I was striving for: the chance to recover the true purpose for my life. Coming into my junior year, I believed that I wanted to become a Software Engineer. The one way I could discover if the engineering path was right for me, was to take a class that was all about engineering. At first, I was very skeptical and nervous about the goal I set for myself: am I going to be able to achieve my mightiest goals in a world where I am the minority? Will I ever be able to shine in a world where my voice isn’t heard? With these doubts in mind, I set off to learn the best lesson I could ever have in my back pocket.
After the first marking period in his class, my teacher saw the raw drive and spirit in my work ethics; I went from being the low life female who was very out-of-place in this educational setting, to a driven individual who can compete with anyone who provides a challenge. The rigor of the classroom proved to me that I could crumple any boundary set in my path. The raw challenge presented to me was no match for the dedication I have for my goal of becoming a Software Engineer.
Thanks to my teacher, I learned that no goal is unattainable as long as you set your mind on reaching it, even if you are the minority. Thanks to the belief he had in me, I was able to see that I can accomplish whatever task I set out to obtain. I will always remember that the only road block is the one that sprouts doubts in the back of my mind. The only truly unattainable goal is the one you don’t set out to achieve.