My Plans for My Future by Isaiah

My Plans for My Future by Isaiah - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

My name is Isaiah Vereen. I am currently a senior at Marion High School in Marion, South Carolina. I am 18 years old. After graduating from high school in May of this year, I plan to attend Francis Marion University. I plan to major in psychology. After my bachelor's degree, I plan to obtain my master's degree in speech pathology.

Growing up, I struggled with a stutter and a lateral lisp. My mom's dad also struggled with stuttering all his life. Having the speech issue made simple conversations with other people hard. I remember being nervous to speak in front of my classmates. I was able to overcome my speech delay through the power of speech therapy. The speech therapist in school guided me and helped me through my journey. She not only gave me the tools to communicate clearly but she also helped to restore my confidence and self-esteem. Her compassion changed my life for the better and now I hope to do the same for others.

As a future speech-language pathologist, I plan to specialize in working with children who face speech disorders like stuttering and lisps. I am eager to contribute to the betterment of others. I want to help create an environment where children feel understood, supported and encouraged to thrive. When they look at me, I want them to see a person who used to struggle to speak too but who has worked hard to overcome it. I want them to know that they can do it too. My experience with speech therapy have taught me patience, how to overcome and being able to celebrate small victories. I look forward to helping students like me who are determined to turn their speech challenges into success.