Two Pennies Worth: A Grueling Year in Focus by Cassandra

Two Pennies Worth: A Grueling Year in Focus by Cassandra - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

It was 4 am and I was exhausted. I had slept good, just not enough. I was lucky enough to be an intern at the manufacturing company I worked at, and I was used to fitting school around work, but a 4:30 am, 3 hour exam before work was not the norm. I had been working every spare minute to pass my Calculus course, before and after work, and it was still not going smoothly. I just barely passed, another rarity. That is how it felt at work as well and I was working hard not to panic. It was like drinking out of a fire hydrant. This was my chance to leave the grueling heavy manual-labor job I had been doing, yet only if I did well.

I was paying for school by my regular job at this factory with many 60-hour weeks, and being a frontline worker only increased the pressure. In the factory my daily, all-day attire, had been special uniforms, steel-toed shoes, lab-coat, safety glasses, earplugs, hairnet, gloves, and big masks made heavy manual-labor work harder. Knowing life was too precious to say “tomorrow”, and fearlessly determined to get my goal and uplift those around me in the process, I ended each interaction with a smile and a thank you, until I suddenly realized everyone around me had begun doing the same. I sweat most of my shift to have a few moments to study work materials on business and statistics. My supervisor noticed, having me train to supply paperwork instead. I trained hard and applied to the company internship program aligned with my in process degree: accepted. Now, getting a crash course in Supply Chain function as their intern, I used my hard-won knowledge from those carved-out minutes in the factory, and my degree study, to build upon. I finally breaking through and brought millions in savings to the company, launching me into a new job.

That was only a couple months ago. Now, as I consider the scaled mountains of the past year and survey those in front of me, I realize I learned that everything is just a habit. I did what I had to do and now I can get more done in a day than I could even one year ago: academically, personally, and at my job. And many things are no longer overwhelming. It is all in the perspective. I have learned that laziness, pity, and an “it is too hard” outlook could have stopped me many times, yet perseverance and a “I have to” attitude that refuses to say “tomorrow” is the most critical. And most of all, I have learned to give myself an outlook of patience and love, fueling me to keep going in the most exhausting times.

The challenges have not ended, as my health, and finances for my senior year and the start of my master’s degree, bring daily hurdles. Yet, as a first-generation college student, a woman, and an adult learner, I stand tall. It has not been easy, and I am not done. I call out to everyone to stand tall. Get your goal, your independence, your knowledge, and inspire.