A Year of Growth by Hannah

A Year of Growth by Hannah - September 2020 Scholarship Essay

As my time in high school is drawing to a close, I find myself examining my surroundings and current state, rediscovering what is important to me and what is not. Time spent with my family has become more precious to me than ever, as has my passion for reading and writing. The future is racing towards me, and I want to be ready to face it when it comes. My goal for this year is to grow, both in my relationships with the people that matter most to me, in my academic knowledge, and in my state of mind.
I will be heading off the college next fall, and the nearness of that change is reminding me to make the most of the everyday things I do with my family and friends. I'm planning to go to school out of state, so every moment I spend with the people I care about is important to me. The pandemic has made it a little hard to see people in person, but in a way it has helped me grow closer to those who really matter. I've been able to spend more time actually getting to know people rather than just beginning to skim the surface of who they really are like I was doing when I was hanging out with large groups of friends. My family and I have been growing closer to each other as well as we spend more time together rather than rushing out the door to some event on most days. My relationships with my friends and family have become way more important to me than they were in the past, and I'm learning to treasure my time with them and live in the moment as I grow to know these amazing people more.
With every class I take, I learn more about the world we live in and gain more material that I may use in a novel later on, once I achieve my dream of writing and publishing books of my own. A successful school year in my eyes is one where I learned a lot and became one step closer to my dream. I'm taking a creative writing class this semester to help improve my writing skills, and my other classes, while being required, are also a lot of because I'm learning so much from them. I'm definitely focusing on academic growth this year as I finish my high school career.
I've grown monumentally in my state of mind and maturity in the past few years, and I want to continue to grow this year in preparation for taking the next step in my life: going to college. The idea of things changing used to stress me out, but now I'm more at peace with the idea. I've allowed myself to grow and try to be more flexible with change, and it has paid off. I'm sure there are other things I need to work on and areas I need to grow in, which is why my goal for this year is to grow in this area as well as the others I mentioned.
Every high school senior faces a busy year with lots of decisions to make. I plan to face this year with the intent of using the challenges to grow and become a better person because of it. Humans have to grow and adapt to change, and I hope to do just that, both this year and for the years to come.