The Greatest Adventure by Elizabeth

The Greatest Adventure by Elizabeth - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

The future can seem bleak especially for a graduating high school senior. Over and over again I am asked: “What college are you going to? What are you going to major in? How are you going to pay for college? Will the money you make from a future job support you? Are you making the right decisions?” Often times I replied with a simple answer to avoid further inquisition, especially from my high school math teacher. Every day that I walked into his classroom during my junior year, he would give what felt like a three hour speech about how graduating seniors will never achieve what they want to do. His reasons were, that they would be overwhelmed by the cost of college, student loans, debt, the failing economy and anything else he could conjure up to crush dreams. When he asked students about their future plans, the students would always reply in such a way to please him in order to avoid another three hour lecture.
For a while I hopped on the band wagon and gave the same reply. I would answer every question about my future based on the worst case scenario instead of what I wanted to happen. One day I found a poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien:

“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.
The chances, the changes are all yours to make.
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.”

Tolkien’s words struck a chord. I realized the negative influence my teacher had on me. I fixated too much on the discouraging possibilities that could happen instead of the opportunities I could take to make the best of my life. Before, my perspective was that I had no control over what happened in the future so I had to succumb to my teacher’s viewpoint to be successful, but the truth of the matter was, I had the freedom to make decisions that would help me accomplish my goals.

I want to graduate high school, attend college and pursue my lifelong dream of being a published author. In order to do that, I had to stop listening to the pessimistic sermons my teacher preached and believed I had what it took to follow my dreams. No one on this earth had complete authority over me or what I wanted to do with my life. I have to have the right attitude to face the challenges that lie ahead, including battling the abrasive judgments of others. The next time I am asked about my future plans I refer back to Tolkien: “The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.” I have the right to make my life what I want it be if I take the right chances, I will make the right changes I want to have happen.