Leadership is Not a Prerequisite for Collegiate Success by denzel

Leadership is Not a Prerequisite for Collegiate Success by denzel - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

I cannot speak of things that I am unaware of. All I can do is express my thoughts and feelings toward something I have directly experienced. The most challenging experience that I have endured thus far has been my matriculation through life. As I have matured I have become more cognizant of where I come from and realize that my upbringing has shaped how I feel about certain things such as, college. Growing up, I was told that only certain people make it into to college; the teenagers with certain “collegiate traits” and the graduating high school seniors that could afford it. While the others, who did not possess the necessary qualities nor were fortunate enough to financially support themselves through college, had to find other means in order to help them achieve an institutional caliber of learning.

Specifically where I come from, less fortunate students, like me, are forced to take out loans and are told to learn “collegiate traits” like leadership in order to be successful for college. Thankfully, my journey through life has taught me to defy the status-quo and learn to think and act for myself. In doing so, I have realized that I don’t need a skill like leadership in order to be successful in college. All that is required of me is the ability to think and the desire to obtain as much knowledge as possible. Succeeding in college, in my opinion, is also about understanding that success is driven by a plan to keep all of my priorities in order. In my case, my number one priority would be a good financial plan to stay enrolled in school. Nonetheless, I understand that success in college is not attached to financial stability or even leadership for that matter. Success in college is about me and what I want out of it. I understand that achievements come with price, and that price is paid through my desire to obtain knowledge and want success.