Perseverance: A Leader's Drive by Evelyn

Perseverance: A Leader's Drive by Evelyn - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

Hues of heather fog danced among the orchard leaves as I gazed into a marbled sky. At 5:00 a.m. on that mid-August morning, light raindrops painted my leather boots with patches of mud. Hoofprints engraved the rich Michigan soil and crushed the dew-covered blades of grass. My steps never faltered as I trekked the trail where I worked as a camp counselor at Black River Ranch. The job was both demanding and enjoyable; sometimes, I worked 60 hours in a week. Honestly, it is not typical for a girl in my neighborhood to walk alongside the horses. Usually, kids like me sat in the saddles rather than mucking stalls or doing back-breaking labor. But, I have always been gritty.
On this particular day, I was taking a group of eight-year-old girls for a trail ride. As inexperienced riders (some had never been on a horse before), they needed a seasoned rider to lead their way. I surveyed the line and saw a new horse named Oscar. Unbeknownst to me, he had never been ridden on this trail. As we turned the corner, I noticed Oscar’s perked ears as he turned toward a group of cattle in a fenced field and decided to bolt over to the fence. The young girl atop Oscar began to wail as he attempted to canter to his amber-colored friends. I darted in her direction, grabbing the lead rope from my shoulders and clasping Oscar tightly before he could go further. Quickly, I wrestled the Quarter Horse, seconds away from a trampled fence. I calmed him down, led the line to the barn, and breathed a sigh of relief as they stood safely.
Days like that, where I had to face obstacles, lead, think quickly, and encounter physical and emotional challenges, allowed me to experience my greatest growth as a woman through perseverence. They also caused me to reflect on the unfairness of socioeconomic inequity. Many children do not have the opportunity to attend programs like that; I wanted to assume a greater role in helping them experience such rarities. I come from an affluent part of town and I understand that my life is surrounded by privilege. It is what I do with my privilege that matters.
After reflecting, I created a non-profit, Equine Wishes, that offers no-cost opportunities at Banbury Cross Equestrian Center to individuals with disabilities. Knowing that poverty and the pandemic kept this experience out of reach for many in my community, I provided over two dozen certificates for families to access Banbury’s program, which builds human-animal relationships with physical, social, and emotional support. When I witnessed the students’ reactions to the program, I became even more interested in researching human and animal interactions.
Bringing members of different ethnic groups, immigrants, and children with disabilities together in my organization led to an interest in studying communities and cultures. In 2020, I had the opportunity to conduct ethnographic research on museums, culture, and historical archeology with Dr. Stacey Camp at Michigan State University. Exploring her anthropological research with North Idaho’s Kooskia Internment Camp, a World War II Japanese Internment Camp, further inspired me to pursue research in the field. Not only did Banbury introduce me to studies of culture, it also introduced me to concepts of linguistic delays and cognitive challenges with children on the autism spectrum. This fascination led to my discovery of The Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars (SLIYS) at Ohio State University. At the Institute, I learned how to use a comparative perspective when listening for certain phonetic aspects utilized by different speakers. I also discovered exactly what I want to study: how language is used, its place in the world, ethnography and fieldwork techniques, and the relationship between social and linguistic variations. Moving forward, I want to nurture my passion for learning, further my intellectual development, and become a true scholar. I am ready to embark on this fascinating journey whilst persevering obstacles and making an impact.