Taking a chance on my future by Dominique

Taking a chance on my future by Dominique - September 2020 Scholarship Essay

The world today is such a strange, unpredictable place. The environment in which we live is fraught with so much change, so much intensity- demands for social justice and reform; a disparate political climate whose narrative shapes our National and world relationships daily; ever-changing weather events whose existence and ferociousness impact every part of the globe, without discrimination, without warning, without forgiveness; and a global pandemic unlike anything we’ve experienced in decades, certainly unlike anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime. And yet, the world is brightest for me when I am enrolled in higher education, when I am on a path forward toward a brighter future.

When I am enrolled in school, everything feels like it’s in alignment, things just seem to feel “right” with the world. Going to the bookstore, picking up supplies and books on lists from my professors fills me with excitement and joy. When it’s time to attend class, be it in person or via an online learning platform, I am excited, I am “present” for class early, prepared for the lecture or assignment. Modification to the “traditional” learning environment don’t seem as disruptive as I imagined it would be, doesn’t live up to the fears or negative expectations I had prior to the start of classes. Lessons, lectures, questions, and engagement, all seem to flow along as if we are not currently living in the midst of a global pandemic, as if distanced instruction were the “way to go” all along.

I am currently enrolled in my Junior year, a transfer student from the state of Florida, now attending a University in New York State. I switched majors from the Human Services field, to Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. I left my apartment, my job at a law firm, and my life in Florida to pursue my full-time study and acceptance into one of the premier Homeland Security programs in the country, in one of the top states in the Nation when it comes to Homeland Protection and Disaster Preparedness and Response. As I forge ahead on the path to graduation, I am humbled and grateful to have this opportunity to do so. At a time when so much is so uncertain for so many- when millions are out of work, struggling with economic, housing, and food insecurity, when the climate within the confines of our borders and beyond- it gives me great comfort and joy to be enrolled in college, pursing my dream of becoming the first in my immediate family of six to graduate from college. I recognize that I am part of an endeavor that signifies the very things which we all need right now- hope, mobility, increased opportunity, and learning about new things, things which will serve me as I move forward in my professional and personal journey.

My goal for this school year is to do my best- to increase my current GPA from 3.2 to 3.5 or better; to successfully complete the 5 courses in which I am enrolled; to continue along in my Higher Education journey. Completing all of these tasks will bring my closer to my overarching goal for the school year- to do my best, and to end the Academic year one step closer to my future, one step closer to the greatest goal of all- graduation.