Never Give Up by Edwin

Never Give Up by Edwin - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

My brother and sister always told me to enjoy my four years of high school; that they would be the best four years of my life; and nothing compares to your experience in high school. They were wrong. High School were the most stressful years of my life so far, but if it taught me one thing, was to not give up.
I did not realize that I had depression until my senior year in high school; but looking back at my four years, I realized that I had many depressing days that prevented me from going out with my family and friends; days where I did not do anything except lay in bed and over think about life and my future. Sometimes I wondered whether I should even attend college; whether there was a point in attending if I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I laid there, crying, asking God what was his plan for me. Nothing. Even when I felt nothing, I never gave up hope. I knew that God had a plan for me, but I just had to be patient.

Having to keep my grades up, joining extra-curricular activities so colleges can notice me, and trying to "enjoy the best four years of my life" all amounted in a lot of pressure on me. Going to sleep late at night and having tremendous anxiety was not what I though High School was going to be like.

There were days when I just wanted to give up; days where I wanted to only get my High School Diploma and work a minimum wage job. I knew, however, that I did not work my brains out all through elementary, middle, and high school to work at a "dead end" job. I wanted my work to pay off I continued to fight on. Once I got accepted to UCLA, I knew that all my work had paid off. The school that I thought I had no chance in getting in to accepted me as their student.

High school taught me to never give up. Life contains constant struggles, and once we conquer those struggles, we become even stronger. I still don't know what God's plan is for me, but I just have to keep fighting. I know someday He will tell me. Through my depression and anxiety, I never gave up, and I don't intend to.