If I Could Build the World I Dream Of by Camryn

If I Could Build the World I Dream Of by Camryn - May 2025 Scholarship Essay

They say if you give a person a fish, they eat for a day. If you teach them to fish, they eat for a lifetime. But what if you went a step further? What if you gave them the rod, the river, the recipe, and a world where their fishing line wasn’t tangled in barriers built by inequality? If I had unlimited time and money, I wouldn’t just give back but build forward. Using what I’ve learned in school, from biology to government to community service, I would create a world where healthcare, education, and dignity were not luxuries, but guarantees.
My dream began in science class. While learning about the human body, I realized how fragile life can be and how crucial access to healthcare is. As someone planning to pursue nursing, I’ve always been fascinated by how small actions like administering a vaccine or providing comfort can make a massive difference. But I also learned something disappointing: that access to healthcare depends far too much on where someone lives and how much money they have. Getting help is easy in some neighborhoods, but in others, families go years without a check-up. If I had the resources, I would change that.
I would use my education to create a global network of community-based wellness centers. These free or low-cost clinics would offer physical and mental healthcare, nutrition guidance, and safe spaces for youth. These centers would be located in underserved urban and rural communities, not just in the U.S., but around the world. My science classes taught me the biological side of medicine, but my history and government classes taught me that systems often leave people behind. My goal would be to build something that does not just patch up gaps, but fills them with sustainable care.
However, health is only part of the picture. What good is treatment if the root causes of suffering aren’t addressed? That’s where what I’ve learned in economics and social studies comes in. Education and opportunity are the real vaccines against poverty. If I had unlimited resources, I would create student-powered learning academies in low-income areas. These would not be just regular schools. They would be hubs of empowerment. Students would study traditional subjects but also receive lessons in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and civic engagement. Schools would offer hands-on experiences, mentorship from professionals, and support systems for families.
I would also make sure students around the world had access to digital learning tools. My generation has learned how to teach ourselves through videos, podcasts, and online platforms. Why not make that a global reality? With unlimited resources, I would build a free learning platform, customized in different languages and cultural contexts, that teaches not just content, but how to think. This would be the YouTube of empowerment, where students not just watch, they act.
The arts and humanities have also played a huge role in shaping who I am. English class has taught me how to tell stories, how to connect across differences, and how to advocate for what I believe in. That’s why, in my dream plan, I would fund and build creative centers where youth can express themselves through music, art, dance, and writing. Creativity is often overlooked, but it is the spark behind innovation, healing, and activism. I would ensure every child, no matter where they are from, has access to instruments, canvases, and microphones.
Of course, this world can’t run on ideas alone. It takes action. That’s why I’d invest in local leadership programs, especially for girls, young people of color, and students from marginalized communities. These programs would train teens in public speaking, project management, and advocacy. Then I’d give them the funding and tools to design their own community projects. Imagine thousands of student-led solutions solving issues from clean water to literacy to public safety. Imagine students no longer waiting for change, but becoming the change.
All of this ties back to what I’ve learned in school: that real impact is built when knowledge meets purpose. Math taught me how to calculate. Science taught me how to diagnose. History taught me how to question. Language arts taught me how to persuade. School hasn’t just filled me with facts, it’s filled me with purpose. I’ve learned why people hurt and why things are unequal. If I had the time and money, I’d turn that "why" into "how."
Even with all that money and all that time, I’d never forget the power of something simple: listening. Before building a single clinic, I’d talk to the people in that community. Before launching a learning platform, I’d ask students what they need most. I’ve learned through volunteering and community service that no one understands a neighborhood like the people who live there. With unlimited resources, I’d make sure the solutions come with communities, not to them.
So, if I had the time, I would listen longer. If I had the money, I would give more than dollars. I would give dignity. I would use what I’ve learned to not only treat wounds, but to prevent them. I would build a world where your zip code does not decide your worth, where education is not limited to a classroom, and where every young person feels seen and strong enough to change their future.
Learning is powerful. But using what you learn to uplift others, that is how you change the world.