Perseverance by Isabelle

Perseverance by Isabelle - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

Divorce, anxiety, disappointment. My 2021 was the farthest thing from easy.
My year started rough as I, like millions of students in the United States, struggled through online schooling. With my already rigorous schedule of 8 International Baccalaureate courses, the virtual learning format pushed my limits and brought out my mental health struggles. My poor mental health raged on through the summer and fall months, as I started a new, and sometimes damaging, medication. This kicked off a streak of bad luck, with my parents announcing their divorce, my father moving out, getting deferred from my top college, and beaten out for the lead in my senior musical.
You’re probably thinking, “Wow! She’s had a rough year!” And in some ways, yes, I have. However, looking at my year objectively, I accomplished a lot. I was 1 of 9 Thespians elected to the Georgia State Thespian Officer position, where I’ve made connections, and started my own outreach campaign to raise money for the Broadway Cares Foundation. I performed as the lead in 3 musicals. Most rewarding of all, after a semester where I could hardly get out of bed in the mornings, I still earned straight A’s. My academic success was recognized in December when I was awarded the “Lamp of Knowledge” award, which is given to students who have maintained a 3.5+ GPA for 3 consecutive years.
Nobody expected much from me this semester. How could someone going through so much be expected to maintain 8 IB courses? The answer: perseverance. This skill was essential to my academic success this school year. During the moments I wanted to quit the most, the moments that hurt the hardest, I managed to persevere. Through my parents’ screaming matches and anxiety attacks where I struggled to breathe, I learned to push through to find success.
I’ve come to realize that perseverance isn't just about being strong, but entails finding your balance. Learning when to rest, how to care for yourself, and how to manage time effectively. In finding my balance, I have achieved academic success by learning how to persevere through the most treacherous of situations. I’m hopeful that this skill will continue to bring me success in 2022.