The by Christa

The by Christa - June 2013 Scholarship Essay

When I was six years old, I believed whole-heartedly that I could talk to trees. Yes, I was that kid. But even after I realized that I did not have the psychic ability to talk to vegetation, I felt the constant need to be around the greatness that nature has to offer. The world is a wondrous gift that I hold very dear to me, and what better way to celebrate it than to study nature’s inner workings? I greatly value my future and going to a university with an exceptional Environmental Science program has always been a true ambition of mine. Being an active member in both my school and my community, I work hard every day knowing that I am constantly making the world a better place for the existence of people and plants alike. When I visualize myself at a university, I imagine a diverse campus with a variety of hands-on experiences and possibilities. I love being active in as many opportunities that I can get a hold of, especially those that ignite my passion for helping others. 
The road ahead is something of the unknown . . . and it is beautifully terrifying. As far as my future goes, I see myself getting a degree that would assist me in my ambition to protect the environment. When I think of this fate, the road ahead is a whole lot more beautiful than terrifying. Today’s youth is a powerful army of potential. Potential to do extraordinary things like restore hundreds of acres of environmental wonder from the devastations of forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other misfortunes. 
At first glance, one might see me as the “earthy girl” who writes poetry, wears scarves every day, and carries her water bottle around like her life depends on it. Those who take the time to dig a little deeper learn that who I am is not all on the surface. There is much more to me than plants and tea. I know how to do an underwater back flip, how to make a spoon stick to my nose for three seconds, and how to find seven constellations without a map. I know that I love children and teaching them the tools for success that I was taught in adolescence. I know how to sing, how to hike, and how to climb trees; I love trees.  I know how to grab the attention of 30 elementary school kids while teaching them valuable lessons in the process. I also know how to ignite joy, sadness, and anger in complete strangers by interpreting literary works of art through my 3 years experience of competitive Speech and Debate. My path to a university that suits me for who I am seems to be in plain sight. I would like to believe that my story is written in a “create your own ending” style. If I were to choose the perfect ending, or rather, the perfect beginning to my ending, it would involve the act of pursuing my passion for saving the environment, the community, the world.