Closed Mouths Don't get Fed by Isaiah

Closed Mouths Don't get Fed by Isaiah - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

Closed mouths don't get fed. That is a life lesson and piece of advice that I was taught at a very young age. Not advocating for self can be one of the things that hurt you the most in life. I have mostly been a very self-sufficient, independent learner and never really had to ask for help. So when I needed to, I didn't know how. This was a bit hard to accept. Everyone needs help from time to time, but I failed to fully comprehend that for a long time during my education.

During my sophomore year of high school, I took an Honors Chemistry course. Keep in mind that during this school year, learning was done remotely due to the covid pandemic. All my classes were online and it was so much harder to focus on them. My Honors Chemistry class was causing me great trouble because I couldn't understand the material. Having difficulty fully understanding class material was something I rarely experienced. I was out of my comfort zone. I needed help badly, but couldn't find myself strong and confident enough to ask for it. My grade and GPA suffered, and disappointment set in. I knew I was better than that. I finally came to the realization that I needed to advocate for myself, and I did.

The following year, I decided to challenge myself. I enrolled in harder courses, specifically Honors Medical Interventions. I made it my mission to advocate for myself even though I knew that class would be just as challenging as Honors Chemistry. I was determined to succeed. As class moved on further into the year I started advocating more and asking questions about topics that were unclear. I ended with an A in that class. I proved to myself that I can learn from my failures and shortcomings, and couldn't have felt more confident in myself. I learned that just by asking a single question about something I didn't know could help me grow and become a more effective learner. I truly learned to never be afraid to advocate for myself when I am in need of help.
Closed mouths don’t get fed is advice I will continue to take heed of and use throughout my college career. I now fully understand the importance of being able to speak up and advocate for myself in a setting where there won’t be other individuals to speak on my behalf. Using the advice that closed mouths don't get fed and advocating for myself will go a long way and play a major role in my success as an individual and hardworking student.