Value The Real World by Clarissa

Value The Real World by Clarissa - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

I only have basic educational experience but I’ve made great strides to try and break into my dream job in the fashion industry regardless. Many people who want to go to college are not fortunate enough to have the means and some are also not able to study their dream field because it is not available at their local college. Even though you might hit some roadblocks trying to educate yourself in your career path you can still find ways to break into the real world job market, while trying to educate yourself, by making yourself available to job relevant experiences.

While I approached the end of my senior year of high school I felt confident that I had all of my ducks in a row. I had picked and applied for my dream school and aced the application and interview. The prospect of my acceptance seemed highly likely. I was going to graduate on time despite having to overcome a 6 month gap because of an across the country move and a lot of make up work. The only concern that I had in front of me was the cost of paying for college. The institution I applied for did eventually call me to let me know that I had been accepted and a college advisor kept in constant contact to help me seek financial help. I needed to come up with $25,000 before the school year started in order to begin attending classes. I was the youngest child in a large household and was unable to use my parents’ signatures to help me as my siblings were still paying their loans off. While I was a good student, my gap in high school during my transition to a new home and school put me behind a lot and did end up affecting my overall grades. I applied to every scholarship I qualified for and even threw my hat into the ring for some of the scholarships the school offered but was still unable to come up with the funds to pay for school. I was really disappointed that I would not be starting college at the same time as my peers when I had already overcome so many obstacles to stay on track. I felt even more disappointed that all of my dreams seemed completely out of reach when I knew I would’ve aced the college curriculum.

Needless to say I had to put off my my education to try and pay out of pocket for the career I wanted. I refused to settle for any other kind of training because I knew this was what I was meant for. I know how easy it is to feel discouraged and helpless in this kind of situation but I decided to make a bad situation work for me and I went out to find my own opportunities. I started working with local boutiques and charities to help organize and participate in the production of fashion shows, helping with planning and alterations. I became a producer and actress in a self made theater troupe, putting on original and recognized works. I started to work my way up to volunteering to state recognized fashion shows and have been able to gain experience working with nationally and internationally recognized designers and brands. I even got offered an internship for a celebrity designer in New York and found myself on the Austin Fashion Week short list because of my work ethic. I’ve accumulated a lot of valuable experiences that help out my resume as I try to get closer to snagging a job in the fashion world, while putting reputable names in the industry in my corner. I do not have my degree yet but I am putting myself out there anyway.

I know that for most people work ethic alone is not enough and I still need to find a degree someday, but I think it is important to keep putting yourself out there in your desired field and network yourself to be a part of the industry. At this point in life experience can be the paycheck so it important to leave yourself open to everything even if you might not appreciate that it doesn’t pay anything. Even if you are fortunate enough to attend college and are working towards your degree being able to make that personal connection with reputable figures in the industry can become a very valuable asset to your curriculum vitae. Education and experience combined will make you a lot more impressive when you start looking for real world work. I definitely wish I would’ve started putting myself out there sooner but either way I know it will only propel me forward.