Technology: Making Dreams Come True by Hannah

Technology: Making Dreams Come True by Hannah - January 2020 Scholarship Essay

“I don’t want to be in school for that long!” My words, directed towards my mom, were filled with frustration. I was in ninth grade and just beginning to think seriously about college options. I desired a bachelor’s degree, but hated the thought of being in school for so long. I knew about the typical way to earn a bachelor’s degree: graduate high school and go on to college for another four years. But I longed for something different. I desired to complete my bachelor’s degree sooner than that. As I shared these feelings with my mom, we began to brainstorm. Two things I knew for sure: I had flexibility (being homeschooled gave me that), and I had determination (that came from being born with one arm).
I utilized technology and began to research options for earning college credit. I spent hours on the computer gathering information, contacting people, and reading articles. The more I learned, the more excited, motivated, and determined, I became. Through the internet, I learned about many opportunities to gain college credit while in high school, such as dual-enrollment and credit by examination. The more I learned, the more convinced I became that completing most of my college in high school was the right path for me.
So, I registered for online classes and began. I viewed lectures, wrote essays, and completed exams. I loved the online classroom environment. As an introvert, I appreciated the ability to interact with students in a non-threatening environment; as a motivated high school student, I was excited about the possibility of finishing college early. As the months of online college added up, so did the college credits.
As of today, I have been accepted at my dream school and, within a year of graduating from high school, I will have completed my bachelor’s degree. All of my dreams for college are coming true, and yet I realize that this would not have happened without technology. Technology created a way for me to both learn about opportunities, and also to take advantage of them. In the past, children did not have these opportunities. My grandparents and parents did not have the option to complete college classes in high school. But because of the incredible invention of technology, I have choices and options. Technology opened the door for me to earn my college degree differently, and therefore, make my high school dreams a reality.