College: Gateway to My Dreams, Gateway to the World by Ceniah

College: Gateway to My Dreams, Gateway to the World by Ceniah - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

The Oxford English dictionary defines 'gateway' as, "a means of access or entry to a place." Gateway is a word of beginning; it's a word of access. Many important physical features use the word gateway, for example, St.Louis, MO, and the Ohio River are both known as the Gateways to the West. College is my gateway, my access, my entry, to my dreams and experiencing the world.
I think about the words of Eleanor Roosevelt,"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." I live in a small, diverse city known as Newport News. Most people never leave Newport News and they miss out on experiencing life outside of what they know. I don't want to stay stagnant doing the same thing for the rest of my life! As someone who loves history, I’ve read all about the early explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries, or the pioneers of the 19th century. While they probably didn’t go to college, they still left what they knew to gain experience; they used their gateways.
History fascinates me, so much to the point that I want to major in history when I go to college. Many colleges offer history majors opportunities to study abroad. Imagine studying in a completely different country with a completely different culture! College will be my gateway to studying in different places. After I graduate, my dream is to become a historian and travel the world learning about different cultures and historical events. By not accessing my gateway that is college, my dream won’t come true.
So many people don’t realize how much college can give you access to your dreams. It can be that access point that you need. College is my access point, my gateway, my entry to experiencing the world.