Finding Myself Through the College Experience by Daniela

Finding Myself Through the College Experience by Daniela - October 2024 Scholarship Essay

Studying at a university for four years is a very moving and life changing process with several ups and downs. I started school thinking I wanted to study English because I loved creative writing in high school. The day I spoke to my advisor about my future classes I quickly realized the major was not for me. I spent the whole summer thinking of what major to switch to but had so many thoughts racing through my head and not a clue of what I wanted to be when I graduate. Finally, I changed my major to Business because it seemed interesting. However, I still had no idea why I chose it.

I started school very overwhelmed and felt behind due to missing two years of in person school due to COVID. Throughout my first two years of school, I was taking general business courses and was still unsure why I chose the major. I was not doing well in some of them which did not help my motivation, but my professors were very accommodating and helpful. Finally, one summer I took a basic Marketing course and was immediately intrigued. I was so interested in the material and looked forward to learning about it every day.

Currently, I am in a social media marketing class my senior year and I have come to the conclusion that I would like to pursue the career path of Digital Marketing. Evidently, to answer the question, I would have never gotten to this point without the experience of a college degree. Testing out all of those business courses and changing my major multiple times led to me finally studying what I am intrigued by and passionate about. Through my university's resources, I have been able to connect with and network with individuals who are in the same career path I want to pursue. I have also been able to interact with some of my favorite companies through business expos and career fairs. Through these career fairs, I have increased my confidence which is especially beneficial for job interviews.

Overall, to me, the greatest benefit of a college degree is being able to go through the process of finding out what you love. Even if it happens towards the end or after you graduate, the experience and hardships helped increase your potential and work ethic. I would have never thought my lost freshman self who was so scared to face the real world would be in my current position studying what I genuinely enjoy.