SC by Isaac

SC by Isaac - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

I believe I am quite unique in the way I engage with the world around me. I am undeniably introverted; in fact, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in elementary school. I live with my mom, stepdad, and two younger brothers, and regularly visit my dad and stepmom (who is pregnant with my third little brother). I often help take care of my littlest brother, and drive the middle brother to school every morning. I attend church regularly, and voluntarily help with vacation bible school during some summers. I tend to have no more than a handful of acquaintances with the occasional friend; I generally don’t have much interest in socializing, and making friends is one of my weaker skills. In the classroom, I am attentive, diligent, and reserved. I have been in my school’s Engineering Academy since freshman year, and am part of the National Honors Society, the Science National Honors Society, and the Beta Club. I also attend my school’s Community Book Club and help lead our Multimedia Gaming Club. I am looking forward to a field trip to Costa Rica during spring break in 2017; I will be going with several teachers who have seen me grow since freshman year.

I ended fifth grade with an IEP due to my diagnosis, but before high school I dropped to a 504 plan, and since the start of tenth grade I have had no accommodations. Over the years, I’ve nullified my weaknesses and learned to make my personality work in my favor, and I see this as one of my greatest accomplishments. I have also expanded my comfort zone significantly in recent months. Last school year, I impulsively ran for Vice Chairman of the Multimedia Gaming Club. Keeping in mind the rhetorical strategies I had learned in English class, I designed posters to aid my campaign, and even gave a speech when the ballot opened; at the end of the election, I had won by popular vote against two people more socially adept than myself. My tasks as Vice Chairman include managing tournament brackets and contributing to decisions about the club. I have never seen myself as much of a leader, but this coming year, I’ll prove to myself exactly how much of a leader I can be. I am confident that I will perform well, but if I don’t, I will have found another aspect of myself that I can work to improve.

In the future, I hope to find an enjoyable and meaningful career. I've considered going into Engineering, Game Design, even Archaeology and many jobs in between; at the moment, I'm leaning towards Mechanical Engineering as a degree due to its broad, scientific, creative nature. Whatever I do, I want to make the world better for my existence, either through a discovery, an ideology, an innovation, or some other mode of intellectual contribution. Above all, I want to accomplish something no other person on this planet can accomplish, something that makes me different from everybody else.