The Light Switch by Cole

The Light Switch by Cole - August 2016 Scholarship Essay

It's dark. Your fingers slide along the wall, using it as a guide as you take small steps through a room you'd like to think you know well. There's enough light somewhere in the distance to have an idea which direction you should be walking, but not enough to avoid bumping into coffee tables, sofas, and countertops. Ouch. After a few tentative steps free of obstacles, you feel more confident. "Maybe I'm past the furniture," you say to yourself. The light seems to be getting a little brighter as you get closer. "Almost there,” you say. You let go of the wall and take confident strides into what you imagine must be the next room. Much to your surprise, your face collides with a very firm surface and you quickly realize what looked like a light in another room was just a reflection on pane of glass in a picture frame on another wall. Feeling embarrassed and confused, you look around for where the real source of light might be, spotting it, and begin another careful shuffle in what you hope is the right direction.

As I navigated four entertaining years of High School, I couldn't help but feel like I was academically in that dark room. How hard could it be? Show up for class, participate, go home, repeat. Poof. You have identified what you want to do with your life. Right? This was my thinking day to day, semester to semester, year to year. I found some classes very interesting, and I applied myself decently in many situations. The first "light" I thought I saw was drama and theatre. It gave me a perceived sense of purpose and I ran with it - unfortunately, right into a wall. My grades plummeted, and I realized my focus had to return to other academics, where I was told I had a better chance of achieving the seemingly mythical idea of success. I tried to be a chemistry person, then a math person. Both attempts failed. My mentality slowly shifted to a carefree state, and I was fairly void of proactivity when it came to seeking out learning experiences and direction.

One day, an English teacher allowed for me to be in her honors English class, focusing on creating writing. I had done a bit of O.K. writing before, but I didn't believe I was of the caliber of many of the other students in the class. I really had no big expectation, as per usual. As the semester progressed, however, I discovered that I really enjoyed writing. The teacher encouraged different forms of expression and creativity while still holding us accountable for our work. We were actually graded for the quality and quantity of doodles in our notebooks. This new approach to study resonated with me, and slowly, but surely, I began to put great effort into my work. My academic failures elsewhere seemed to be mitigated within me as I recognized that I was succeeding in school, at least in this capacity. My teacher's notes of praise on each paper lifted me higher than I had ever stood before. As if someone turned on a light switch in that dark room, I began to see a path that I could follow, and a direction to travel in.

My illuminating experience with this class gave me confidence in my ability to progress and succeed. This confidence helped me work harder than ever before, and opened my mind to new opportunities. Today I am an accounting major with high hopes, walking in a well-lit room.