Waste by Jasmine

Waste by Jasmine - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

During my first year of high school, I began to shape an obscene path contrived from poor decisions. Many of my teachers watched the path I was taking, but idly said nothing to me. Until one day, after getting in trouble, my art teacher whom I have respected said these few words to me, “Jasmine, look up the word ‘waste’ and see how it applies to you.” I was dumbfounded as I heard this. At first, I was furious that she had the audacity to think so low of me. Although anger clouded my judgement, I was determined to prove her wrong. I sought the word on the internet and within the dictionary. I knew exactly what it had meant before I researched it; however, in denial I struggled to give it a new definition. Enlightened by the lesson of the new meaning, I outlined how it applied to me.
The definitions terrified me causing me to question myself. Am I neglecting my potential? Am I fading away? Am I useless? The question that terrified me the most was, do others think of me as a waste?
To unravel the message sent from my teacher, I initiated a small, simple project. I took a piece of paper and in the middle, I wrote waste with a red marker. In the open space around the word, I wrote the definitions that seemed connect to me. By the time I finished writing all the definitions that applied, I was in tears because of the realization of what I had become and how far I had drifted from my dreams. I was devastated with the young woman I was becoming.
Finally, it dawned on me… I am not a waste yet. My teacher was protecting my future with the harsh truth. She was giving me a wakeup call, and it worked. She taught me, first, to see the potential I have to become a successful role model for others. Second, I learned that decisions I make as a young adult can greatly affect my future. I realized I want a future full of greatness and prosperity. To achieve these qualities I must relinquish my full potential in all activities whether it is in school or in my free time. I stopped hanging out around people who brought me down. I made better decisions to fine-tune my talents in art, so that one day I may have the potential to own an art gallery.
To bring closure to my waste project, I wrote the following words on the back. “I am not a waste; I will work to my fullest potential.” Without my teacher, my eyes would have never opened to the toxins around me. Without my teacher, I would have never comprehended immediate changes were needed for my future. Without my teacher, I would have been arrogant, thinking that nobody thought less of me. Without my teacher, I would have never apprehended my dreams and the steps that were dire to reach them. I will always be thankful to Mrs. Dornwalker for taking the initiative to make me a better person.