What is a small habit or routine that has made a big difference in your academic or personal success? by Brooke

What is a small habit or routine that has made a big difference in your academic or personal success? by Brooke - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

At 5:30 a.m., my alarm starts beeping meep, meep meep, and for a few minutes, I just stare at my ceiling. It’s pitch black and nothing but quietness fills my room. It would be so easy for me to go back to sleep. No one would know if I skipped, but I would, so I get up.

When I first started working out every morning before school, it was because I wanted to lose weight. I didn’t always feel comfortable in my own body. At first, it was hard. I wasn’t used to waking up early, and I definitely wasn’t used to pushing myself physically. Some mornings, I felt motivated. Most mornings, I didn’t, but I always gave myself grace.

What changed wasn’t my schedule; it was my mindset. I realized that waiting to “feel like it” was the reason I had stayed stuck for so long. Real progress doesn’t happen when you are inspired. It happened when I showed up on days even when I didn’t want to. Choosing to get out of bed, choosing to move my body, choosing to stay consistent even when I didn’t see immediate results. This journey has taught me more than just how to lose weight. It taught me discipline.

As a STEAM major, that lesson matters. Classes in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math are not easy. There are days when I won’t get a concept right away. There will be assignments that take me many attempts to complete. But like my workouts, I’ve learned that improvement comes from repetition. You don’t build stamina by doing it once. You don’t get smarter by studying once. Growth is built daily.

My health journey also helped me build confidence. When I started noticing small changes like more energy, better focus, and feeling stronger, it wasn’t just my physical health that improved. The early morning routines made me feel proud of myself for keeping promises I had made to myself. This feeling no longer carried into schoolwork; I began participating more in group discussions instead of listening to others. I stopped doubting whether I belonged in college-level courses or AP classes.

Maintaining my early workouts with homework, projects, and exams hasn’t always been easy. It forced me to manage my time better and plan. I learned how to prioritize long-term goals over short-term comfort. Sometimes that looks like finishing an assignment instead of scrolling on my phone. Sometimes it means going to sleep earlier so I can wake up on time. Those small decisions have made a huge impact.

My weight loss journey is still ongoing, but it’s no longer just about numbers on a scale. It’s about becoming someone consistent, determined, and willing to do hard things even when no one is watching. That mindset shapes how I approach my education and my future career in STEAM.
Every morning when my alarm goes off, I choose effort, my growth, or, more importantly, to believe that I can do anything I set my mind to.