The Secret to Overcoming Impossible by Enes

The Secret to Overcoming Impossible by Enes - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

When I was starting high school I had a difficult start as I have ADHD, yet I finally had the opportunity to select my curriculum. That was part of the reason I was so driven to pursue higher-level Math and Science courses as a Freshman. As a Freshman, I was taking Senior level math courses. I applied to a prestigious magnet program in my County to accept me for their Math, Science, and Engineering (MSE) program, which had college-level math and science courses in their curriculum.

I sent in my application to the MSE program the winter of my Freshman year. The application is intended for middle school students for acceptance to Suncoast High School, one of the top 10 public high schools in North America. I was applying as a transfer. Soon after I submitted my application, I got a response from the MSE coordinator.

The MSE coordinator mentioned "you are an ambitious student, but it is impossible to transfer into the MSE program." I was pretty heartbroken, as I would not have an easy path to getting those college courses such as Physics 1 & 2, and Calculus 1 & 2 & 3 and Differential Equations courses. After I read the coordinator's email, I sent my appreciation for her reviewing my application and mentioned that I would not quit my goals for a career in Math or Science.

I spent the rest of the year continuing my academic work, and I stayed the course with my courses and even applied to the community college for more rigorous courses. Needless to say, I put that "impossible" from the coordinator as fuel to my ambition in the engine that is my mind in order to do more work and not slow down. At the end of the school year, the coordinator responded to my email chain and said that she is proud to announce my acceptance to the MSE program. I never slowed down my work that year, and I was even the very first student to be a transfer of the MSE program! I even graduated the high school with over 30 credits to start my college career and learned the power of persistence, commitment, and ambition to work hard in school.