Into A New Year by Halle

Into A New Year by Halle - December 2022 Scholarship Essay

I believe everyone should strive to possess a bold self-image. The ability to recognize one's fears and continue despite embarrassment, pressure, or denial shows true strength and is a quality I am now proud to possess.
I have successfully tackled my first semester of college, facing great anxiety towards starting at a new school and beginning a new job. This experience of finally letting go of my fears is by far my greatest achievement to this day. It outweighs all of my accomplishments with my art and writing, and is far greater an achievement than a 4.0 GPA. Confidence is an ability that can not be measured by a grade, yet it is the most important skill school has taught me. Without this confidence, I would have never signed up to take a public speaking or CAT community class, or had sought out a therapist for the benefit of my mental health.
I wish to receive a degree in Graphic Design at Kansas State University. With this skill, I will become an entrepreneur and open a small online business with my art, writing, and music. I will make a point to encourage young creators to be bold and pursue their dreams with confidence, as I have, and to never back down in the face of adversity or fear. As I have learned, a dreamer who simply dreams never achieves anything, but one who is truly devoted to their work, with a little bit of confidence, can achieve anything.
This journey has led me down paths I could never dream of following, such as pursuing art despite the competitive nature of the business. Overall, I would say that the outcome of my mental health struggles is generally positive. I am a happier, more confident person than I ever was before, and I feel that the struggles I went through turned into a multitude of blessings to counter, and I am extremely grateful for this phase that helped me reach peak clarity in my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Heading into the new year, I take this newfound confidence with me so I can continue to excel in all aspects of my life.