Dream by Elizabeth

Dream by Elizabeth - December 2015 Scholarship Essay

Let me begin by stating that, since I was a child, I’ve been pursuing a dream that I want to fulfill regardless of how it changes. I wish to travel, help others, and free myself from the poverty I was raised in as a child. For a long time, education never made its way into the picture, nor did my biggest aspirations. I was busy thinking narrow-mindedly about the short-term conditions of my life: my dilapidating house, broken family, absent truck. For a long time, I wasn’t able to go beyond those things, but now that I have, I realize just how precious my life is and have begun to wonder how much we take for granted each day. In ten years, I want to be able to say that those experiences have made me choose the right future path for me whilst helping others and myself.
In ten years, I imagine myself in a foreign world that, if I hadn’t worked to get to, I never would have believed existed. I cannot be entirely certain where I will end up, whether it be in a foreign country, here in the same little town, or still in school; however, no matter which, I know that I will only be there because I have determined that is where I should be to pursue my dreams. I know that that means I will still be honing myself to be the loving, selfless person I set out to be when I was just a child, regardless of where I end up.
In ten years, I know this much: I will have participated in community service for each of those years and will have helped countless people in the process. By the time the year 2026 comes around, I will have graduated from the University of Arizona with a Master’s in Journalism. Depending on how much exposure I experience during my university years, I will either continue my education or begin my life as a journalist—preferably as a freelancer abroad.
My education will help me achieve my future dreams in a variety of ways: as stated prior, the exposure will help me develop myself and my outlook towards others, too. As I continue to learn about journalism, I will also learn important life skills that I will need to go into that career later. Even if I don’t choose to become a journalist, I know that my education will have played a part in getting me closer to fulfilling my ultimate dream because school is a very liberating place where, surprisingly, it isn’t difficult to be yourself and find new friends who actually care for you and cherish your opinion. I know that the people I meet during my university years will encourage and believe in me, two things that are important to me.
If I don’t become a journalist, being a lawyer would be next on my list. This is because both of these professions are uniquely social and require selflessness to be hired into their workforces. I wouldn’t become a lawyer for the money or the prestige but because I know that I would enjoy the rigorous coursework and would be able to help others in a rightful and fair manner.
No matter where I end up or what I do, I have confidence that I will be doing something that I love and that I will be happy doing, despite of the payment I might receive. What is most important to me is that, in those ten years, I am able to teach at least one person that life is more than money, making good grades, and getting that new iPhone. Unfortunately, although I know that there are things that I will definitely do in ten years, I cannot be sure how many people’s lives I will be able to impact, because although I know my outlook will change, how much will other people’s?