Thank You by Jackelynn

Thank You by Jackelynn - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

The community of Bryan/College Station has seen me grow. It was seen me proudly sing the 50 states in my 4th-grade program and it will soon see me walk the stage. My friends, neighbors, and family have been along my side my entire life and now that I am old enough, I can go beyond and be there for the current and future generations. The backbone of my life has guided me to where I am today.
From a young age, I realized that I enjoyed going further than what I was expected to do. Every morning during third grade, I would envy those working on their multiplication charts while I worked on my number-thinking skills (I played sudoku). Although I knew the multiplication charts from top to bottom, I needed more because I wanted to continue learning. To get ahead. It was only when my peers asked me to explain to them how I remembered the products. Although my 9-year-old self could not explain my way of thinking, I began to appreciate being ahead because that way, I could explain to my friends. This same situation continues to this day as a senior, however, I am teaching peers how to differentiate an implicit function in AP Calculus instead of doing multiplication charts. I like to think that I have not changed in my willingness to help others. Although I may not fully comprehend a concept, such as in physics when learning about centripetal forces, I will explain it to the best of my ability in order to perform my best and aid others in understanding the topics. For example, if I am having trouble understanding my instructor, I will sit at my dining room table doing intensive research in hopes of understanding or I will attend tutorials as many times as it takes me to process the information. I force myself to understand just because I am willing to learn. If I have enough motivation to learn, I have enough to comprehend. I will report my knowledge to my peers the second I understand it like a newscaster because sharing is caring, am I right? I understand the feeling of frustration and patheticness when I do not understand a concept others have such ease comprehending. Because of that, I deliberately tutor my peers regardless of whether we are in the classroom, in the cafeteria, or on FaceTime. Even though it is still difficult to outline my thinking process, I always attempt to explain with examples and simple terminology in order to build up to the topic. Being asked for help always warms my heart because it proves to me that I am trusted enough with the education one my peers to tutor them. It makes me feel worthy of my knowledge. A simple thanks is always the perfect compensation. I am elated to know that I am helping others.
Similarly, I '’’ve exhibited these same characteristics while giving back to my community. Growing up economically disadvantaged, my family and I frequented second-hand stores such as Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity’s Restore. I hated going. Not because we were purchasing items that were previously owned by someone else, but because it was so disorganized. Even though everything was donated, why did it have to be thrown in a pile somewhere? Being disadvantaged should not make one feel less especially because of the evident and purposeful disorganization. Therefore, when I was old enough to volunteer without a guardian accompanying me, I signed up at Habitat for Humanity to sort and put the store in order. I priced new daily donations, sorted them into categories, and put them in an indicated location with labels. The first day I volunteered, I was flabbergasted when I entered and saw the most unorganized clothing section ever. The hangers were propping up like sprouts in the spring, some were even like the leaves on an autumn evening, all on the floor. The clothes were unmovable, and colors and sizes were mixed like a bag of Skittles. Although I was not told to organize the section, I still did it, not because of personal satisfaction, but for the individuals shopping there. I wanted them to enjoy shopping there and feel worthy. The hours did not allow me to make an indentation on the problem. It took me a minimum of 2 7 am-4 pm shifts to finally sort the clothing like they deserved to be. Not only were sizes categorized, but so were clothing styles and colors. Finally seeing one section organized gave me hope that it was possible to clean up little by little. I knew my goal was accomplished when a customer thanked me for the coordination. Not only had I made it more accessible for customers to shop, but it was also more pleasing to know where their size was without pushing clothing aside. I slowly made my way across Restore by proceeding to organize the children's toys, technology, holiday decor, frames, and even the warehouse. The exhaustion did not matter when it came to organizing and bringing joy to others. Helping others has always been enough compensation for me.
It satisfies me to know that I can help others with my actions through simple problem breakdowns or organizing. Being thanked for work is the best reward one could get.