The Key by Gabrielle

The Key by Gabrielle - December 2014 Scholarship Essay

Education has always been considered "the key." But to what? As a young child, I didn't understand how important education really was. I just thought I was being forced to go to school for no reason. As I've grown though, I've realized that education is the key. Everyone has a different key, but I know that mine will open the door to success, unlimited opportunities, and what I really want to be in life, which is happy. Education has molded me into who I am today because it has given me the drive to figure out what doors my key will open.

When I was a little girl, my dad pushed me so hard in school. His expectations were so high, and I hated it. I was under so much pressure to have a 4.0 GPA. I wanted to make my parents proud, so I pushed myself to meet their expectations, and I did. I never got below a 3.9 GPA. As I progressed through school, my dad didn't have to push me anymore because his expectations had now become my own. I wanted to have those good grades because I felt like anything less was unacceptable, but also because I knew that this was my key. This was and still is how I will become successful in life. I was even more motivated when I entered high school. I was so motivated that I took extra classes to graduate a full year early with high honors.

Education hasn't just taught me information, it's taught me life skills. Going through skill, a student needs to know how to be organized and manage their time. I used to be very unorganized. I hated cleaning, and nothing really had a place of its own. As I went through high school, and now especially college, I've learned that I love being an organized person. Life just becomes so much easier when you can find that other sock that actually matches. More importantly though, I'm able to organize my notes and assignments, so I can maximize my study time. Being organized and time-management pretty much go hand in hand. If a person is organized then usually they know how to balance their time between work, school, and friends.

The last thing that education has made me is an overall happier person. Everyone has something that interests them more than anything, and when you find that one thing, you want to learn as much as you can. You begin to love that topic, and if you're doing or around something you love, it leads to happiness. My most important goal in life is to be happy, and I think that education has taught me that.

Education has shaped me into a motivated, learning-oriented person. It has taught me how to be successful in life, but while still being happy at the same time. It's given me the keys to send me in the direction I want to go, and I am truly happy because of it. Education really is my key.