What “Thinking Outside the Box” Means to Me by De'Andre

What “Thinking Outside the Box” Means to Me by De'Andre - October 2018 Scholarship Essay

I understood the value of education, integrity, and success at a young age. At that time, I was an intellectually curious little boy with a big heart and great expectations focusing on a bright future. Thus, I pushed myself to excel academically throughout my high school career and earned the following awards: Top 5% of Freshman Class, Best Overall Spanish I Student during my sophomore year, Top 5% of Junior Class, and the Georgia Certificate of Merit; which is given by the State of Georgia and the University of Georgia for superior scholastic endeavors through outstanding achievement in the first three years of high school. The intentness of my hard work made me feel like a natural born leader after accomplishing something so remarkable. In addition, I would test my creativity and innovation skills by disassembling and reassembling electrical and mechanical devices such as computers and bicycles. Instantly, I knew my keenness for learning and superior ability to analyze and mend objects would put me one step closer to reaching my future goals of attending college and majoring in mechanical engineering. I was willing to accept any obstacles that I may encounter by knowing success is driven by your mindset and the decisions made in life would determine your destiny. Giving up was never an option for me. In fact, the phrase “give up” is nonexistent in my vocabulary.

As I grew older I began focusing more on being creative and different. I have always been passionate about thinking outside of the box to turn my ideas and goals into reality. Once I identified this passion I made significant contributions to my personal development by promoting my creative abilities. To me thinking outside the box means being open-minded, accepting challenges to come up with new ideas, using challenges as learning experiences, and not being afraid to explore new adventures. My aptitude for math, astronomy, and great attentiveness in how things has always been remarkable. I love experimenting, observing, exploring, questioning assumptions, using my imagination, hypothesizing data, and synthesizing information. As I continued evolving with thinking outside the box I learned to set realistic goals; which strengthened my motivation and self-confidence. To prove my commitment to thinking outside the box I implemented two events at Boys and Girls Club to better relations and resolve tension between the youth and police forces. The events consisted of a basketball tournament and Shop for a Cop project. The basketball teams involved club members and the Valdosta Police Department. Of course, we won! For the Shop for a Cop event the Chief of Police was contacted and asked for the name of an officer who could use some special recognition. I was told that there was one officer who was overwhelmed with the negativity surrounding police officers and even considered resigning. Immediately, this officer was chosen as the honoree. I collaborated with a local restaurant for donations for this project and received a basketful of gift cards for him and his family. A simple act of kindness will inspire and empower people of all races, cultures, and ethnicities to embrace their love for one another. I believe utilizing my creativity and innovation skills will empower others to develop the skills they need to complete a task. Being a creative innovator and an analytical thinker led me to the engineering field. Once my mind is set I always follow through by implementing plans that will successfully transition into the next step of achieving my goals. Overall, to me thinking outside the box means contributing to the growth of the engineering industry. I will accomplish this by being the epitome of a level-headed, goal-oriented young man with high ethical standards and disciplined work habits.
With discipline and focus you can ensure no stumbling block will hold you back from reaching your full potential. Through hard work and passion nothing is impossible. Thinking outside the box was always a reason for my vision and a sense of purpose to my mission of hard work. For this reason, I decided to start out positive and become the author of my future. Starting out negative ensures failure before you begin.

Even after graduating college and starting my career I will still be committed to thinking outside the box. Hard work, ambition, and devotion are three words I hold highly. My loyalty to education and thinking outside the box are examples of my strong moral character that makes me an excellent candidate for your scholarship. Being awarded this scholarship will give me the chance to show others what they can accomplish and experience. If awarded this scholarship, I will prove that I have what it takes to not only be a high-achieving student, but also a well-respected businessman and meticulous mechanical engineer. If selected, I will represent your legacy as the scholarship recipient extremely well. Thus, I eagerly await for the opportunity to fulfill my post-secondary and career goals by being the Varsity Tutors College Scholarship recipient. This amazing journey of thinking outside the box is just the beginning for me. It does not stop here. It will continue.

Thank you in advance for your time and kind consideration.