A Farmer's Greatgranddaughter by Claire

A Farmer's Greatgranddaughter by Claire - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

I am the product of a very dedicated and hard-working family whose livelihood of farming fresh vegetables and apples was a dream fulfilled by jumping out of their comfort zone and working tremendously hard; all with nothing more than a high school education. You see, my paternal great grandfather, “Nono”, was born in Lucca, Italy. He immigrated to the United States in his early adolescence, settling in a lovely California Coastal town. There, instead of attending high school dances and athletic competitions, he learned how to farm artichokes, taking great pride in his farmland and in the endless toiling of his crops.

Six generations ago, my maternal great grandfather, John, came to the United States from the island of Brac in Northern Croatia. He was just 16 when he left his family during his sophomore year of high school and sailed to America seeking greater opportunities. In 1910, he arrived in the New York harbor, gazing at the Statue of Liberty through eyes filled with hopes and dreams of the future. He traveled by train to Northern California where he took a job at a local restaurant washing dishes and became proficient in the English language. From there he traveled three hours South for the apple harvest as a year-round laborer. John toiled extremely hard and, over time, saved enough money to eventually rent and purchase orchards of his own; farming the land by himself with workhorses and a walking plow. By 1920, he bought his first tractor and purchased a packing house; shipping his apples under several labels. My great grandfather John eventually became one of the largest apple growers in Northern California. The honor of a lifetime came to him posthumously, when the Smithsonian Institute highlighted him in its “America on the Move” exhibit. To think that this young immigrant from a small village in Croatia, had come to this country as a youth with barely train fare in his pockets, ended up being honored in the Smithsonian!

Growing up, I was intrigued by my great grandfathers’ stories, in awe of their work ethics, and amazed at their commitment to providing for family. They were not fortunate to have graduated high school, let alone been able to experience the luxury of higher education. Instead, it was necessary for them to work and make sacrifices at a very young age for their survival. Their education was one based on skills, both practical and learned by doing; not from books and study. Although I never tire of listening to the stories told about their experiences immigrating to this country and their amazing achievements, I know that life was simpler back then. In today’s competitive, global economy, employers are expecting more education because jobs are more sophisticated due in part to complexity and specialization. Since I was a youngster, I can recall my parents talking about planning for my higher education. Together, we enjoyed many road-trips passing through their alma mater campuses, getting excited for what would one day be a reality for their daughter. No matter what career path I chose in life, attending college would begin that path. They taught me that experience combined with education helps demonstrate motivation and drive to succeed. Education is one of the best investments we can make in ourselves - as we aspire making our mark on the world.

My zest for life took root in my wonderful childhood and has remained with me throughout my high school career. I have no doubt that my passion, commitment and willingness to work hard has been passed down to me from my great-grandfathers. Thanks to the encouragement and devotion of my tight-knit family, I choose to participate in school government and athletics, as well as to volunteer in my community, because I was raised to study hard, practice and play hard, and enjoy every aspect of my education to the fullest. Just as my great-grandfathers’ hard work and sacrifice for their farms brought them success, my perseverance has paid off with my recent acceptance to my top choice college, the University of Alabama. I look forward to earning an undergraduate degree in Public Relations in their College of Communication & Information Sciences, as well as a minor in Real Estate, in their Culverhouse College of Business, which combines multiple academic disciplines including: economics, finance, sales, management, and law. Just as my predecessors built their farming businesses with hard work, determination and grit from the ground up, I believe that my leadership roles at school, my ongoing community involvement, and the never-ending encouragement from my teachers, coaches, peers, and loving close-knit family have built a steady foundation which will guide me through my collegiate education. I look forward with excited anticipation to a successful career. One which includes my love of working and interacting with individuals via my Public Relations education, and fulfilling my dream of obtaining my Real Estate license with hopes that it will open even more doors for my future success.