What a 'C' Can Cause by Diane

What a 'C' Can Cause by Diane - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

My biggest failure during my education thus far would be receiving a C in one of the most challenging classes I have ever had. In the second semester of my freshman year of college, I took the class Dynamic Gestures. This class entailed practicing drawing models from life, learning about basic shapes, how they enable us to see the anatomy of the human body and how the muscles and bones move together to form movement.
This class gave me the biggest hassle out of all my classes. I thought I knew how to use basic shapes in art, but as someone who is self-taught, I didn’t go over these aspects in great detail and I completely missed the importance of this foundation topic. Towards the end of the semester, I had multiple meltdowns about this course in particular, because I was struggling to keep up and comprehend what the rest of the class seemed to understand. I have never felt so out of touch with everyone else the way I did. I began to contemplate whether or not animation is the right choice for me. There are so many things I want to do and be in this life. I know I’ve always been interested in the arts such as acting, drawing, poetry with a small part of me having an interest in science as well but receiving that C as my final grade broke something in me. I have never received a C as a final grade in any of my classes for as long as I can remember.
After some self-searching and meditating, I decided to continue on my journey to become a professional animator. A ‘C’ isn’t the worst thing in the world, and I refuse to let one class be the reason I give up on something I have been chasing for so long. This class showed me that there would be moments in life when I would feel like giving up, when the obstacles in my path would seem unbeatable but with a little faith, and a lot of hard work I know I'll be one step closer to success. My experience from Dynamic Gestures has given me a small boost of confidence I did not think I could muster. But I did, and I’m beyond proud of myself for the steps I am taking to achieve something great.