College is a Challenge and a Chance by Breanna

College is a Challenge and a Chance by Breanna - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

The way people experience success is different for everyone. Some define success as being the best in the class or in their job. Some define it as making the most money. Some define it as finding opportunity, trying their best, or simply showing up. So when someone says what they believe will make them successful, it reflects their character and values.

Throughout my life, I have been struggled with high levels of anxiety and depression. My mental health is a focal point in my life and continues to influence who I am and they way I act. Therefore, when I look at the challenge of college I see a mountain of ways it could go wrong. However, I refuse to let it control what I want for my future.

Going to college is a goal and an opportunity I am not willing to miss. Living away from home and everything I know purposes a challenge unlike everything I have ever faced before, but it also provides so many new opportunities. Going to college means the world to me because it will give me a chance to face my fears and grow as a person. I want to take the challenges with the successes because I know they will help me develop my skills and values.

College also gives me the chance to do what I love. Further education gives me a chance to follow the career path I want and learn about something I love and am passionate about. My intended major is Wildlife Management, and I plan to use my degree to work to help preserve wildlife here in the Midwest. Both growing as a student and as a person are what make facing my mental illnesses worth the effort. The opportunity is one of a kind and the benefit is a passionate career where I can make a difference.

So when I examine what success is to me, I see completing something I am afraid of. I see success as using college to grow as a person. Being successful does not mean becoming an adult and making money in the future. Success is grasping the opportunities I have been given with both hands and using it to do good. College is a challenge but also an opportunity for success, and I refuse to miss it.