Manifest and Prosper by Cullen

Manifest and Prosper by Cullen - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

As a student at an inner city high school of Chicago, there are many things to get in the way of one's success. From the beginning of my high school career, there was little thought on the significance of mental preparation for college. At a time when how I was perceived by others was my primary concern, the most important step to my future remained hidden. While a freshman and sophomore in high school, I always believed that everything would fall into place without putting much thought and effort into the process. During these years of false sense of entitlement, whenever someone would ask me how school was going, I would immediately be wracked with a sense of guilt because I knew I was not living up to my potential.
Because I was so lost in my distractions, I will never forget the moment when I knew I must turn my life around. I was a sophomore at the time, and a teacher who I hadn’t recognized, Mr. Whetstone, came into my English class to introduce a proposal to students who seemed to be in the exact same situation I found myself. This proposal was for students to pursue OneGoal. As the teacher was speaking about the program, I instantly had a changed mindset. I knew that it was the time to strengthen my GPA, prepare for the ACT, and find the perfect college. Starting my junior year, I made sure that everything was on route for success. I knew that if I wasn’t perfect in one of my last chances to go to my dream school, Michigan State, the formation of my desired future might never happen. I began my junior year with a 2.43 unweighted GPA, and that seemed to be my main weakness. I made a choice that it was 100% necessary to settle for nothing less than a 4.0 GPA both semesters of my critical junior year. I used my mistakes as motivation for my future.
Through all the preparation and complete change of mindset in the quick span of junior year, it has taught me that I can achieve anything I want to and to look deeper into things from the start just so failure does not become an option. Being someone who had a drastic academic and mental change in high school, I can bring this scholarship foundation a resilient mindset in order to continue to achieve excellence.