Opening a New Curtain by Javan

Opening a New Curtain by Javan - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Life was peaceful, usually boring, in the small town of Moapa Valley. With only 7,000 residents in the whole 44 square miles, what else could you expect? The busy hustle-bustle of city life? Not here, not in this town without a single traffic light, only one grocery store, and only one fast food restaurant. Every trip to the store was a chance to catch up with the neighbors. Every walk to the post office was a rendezvous with unexpected acquaintances. Everybody knew everybody in that small desert oasis.
I was content, happy, in my school. I had a nice group of friends and we lived in a nice place with nice people. Then something not so nice happened. My dad got a job in Houston, TX. Twenty-four-hour drive away from my Nevada town. So, at the beginning of my Junior year, we moved. Going from a tiny town with a close-knit community to the fourth largest city in the U.S. was quite a culture shock for me. Not to mention, I was torn away from my best friends and the place I had lived for 13 years. Because of this, I put myself in a shell.
For the whole Junior year in my new Texas school, I was unusually introverted. Back in Nevada, I was very outgoing and I participated in a lot of things. All of a sudden, all of these changes forced me into my own little bubble. For a year, I didn’t talk to anybody and nobody talked to me.
Coming into Senior year this year, I decided I wanted to change that for myself. I wanted to have a group of friends again. So I auditioned for my school musical, called Curtains. I didn’t really think I would make it in. After all, I’m not the best singer, I’m not the best dancer, and nobody really knows me. What chance did I really have? Apparently, there was a chance, because I did make it. My reaction was a mixture of pride, joy, shock, and nerves.
I am currently rehearsing for the production of this musical and I have made some friends. I am very proud of myself for deciding to be more involved at school and also for making it into the musical.