Varsity Tutors Scholarship Essay by Elisha

Varsity Tutors Scholarship Essay by Elisha - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

To whom this may concern,
My name is Ren Stephens. I am an educated student and soon to be graduate of Choudrant High School with a 4.5 GPA. I have been accepted into Louisiana Tech University with plans to major in Architecture and minor in Business. I have been a cross country athlete for the past 7 years and received multiple awards during those years including the Aggie Award and Mentor Award. During my tenure at school I have also been honored by my teachers and principal alike that have recognized me for having a kind heart that is dedicated to helping the people around me.
I would like to express my interest in applying for the Varsity Tutors College Scholarship. I believe that everyone can find a particular topic that sparks a passion for learning. For me, SAIL (Students Actively Involved in Leadership) is what sparked my interest in learning about entrepreneurship and managing your money the right way.
In SAIL class, we have learned more about financial related topics like credit score, the difference between a credit union and bank, and the difference between a debit card and a credit card. Not only that, but SAIL also gave me the chance to explore my own community. My class got to go visit places like Louisiana Center for the Blind, Lincoln Parish Park, and the Frosty Factory, a factory that produces and ships frosty drink machines. Finally, my class had the opportunity to help our own community by setting up our own canned food drive. All of this experience has led to me developing an interest in business and my own community in Ruston, Louisiana.
Getting to learn new things is great, but has SAIL influenced my career choices? In a way, I would say the answer is yes. Because I now have more knowledge about how the economy and finances work, I feel more confident about learning business when I get to college. Something that has also helped me come to this decision is when our instructor would invite and interview various finance professionals and entrepreneurs. Because of that, my class has a better view on how successful people get to where they are today and what life is like for them as a professional. I personally felt inspired to continue down this career path I chose and to become a careful spender.
Overall, my educational experiences with business and finance have led me to the decision to get a minor in business and to continue searching for ways to acquire better decision-making skills with money. I am grateful for your time and I thank you for considering me for this reward.