Determination is the Key to Success by Jennifer

Determination is the Key to Success by Jennifer - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

There is a list of skills that could be argued to be the single most important to one's academic success. For me there is only one and that is determination.

All through high school I worked my tail off and I was accepted to UC Davis right out of high school in 2002. It was eight hours away from my home in San Diego, CA so I worked full time and tried to balance living on my own while paying for my schooling which began to take its toll. Based on my financial aid application, my parents made too much for me to receive funding, so it was left up to me. Though I decided to leave the University after a difficult first year, my determination to one day get my degree never wavered.

I am now 30 years old, married with three children and a full time job; however, I am tired of waiting for the "right time" to go back to school. When you are young, it is easy to become overwhelmed. As I look back on my first year of college compared to where I am now, it doesn't seem like things were all that bad. Sure, I was tired from working, my classes, and my financial struggle which seemed unbearable, but none of those obstacles have gone away. If anything, they have intensified tremendously.

Going into it this time, I have a very different mentality. I will not fail. I will do whatever needs to be done to finally accomplish my goal and to set an example for my children that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and never give up. Determination has kept me hungry for my education for the past eleven years. Is it the best time to be going back to school? No! Am I going to do it anyway? Absolutely! It has always been my number one goal and I have learned that there is never going to be a good time to do it, much like having children. There will always be fears of affordability and time, but it is not something I am willing to put on the back burner any longer.

Several skills will play a role in my success but I know without a doubt, that it is my determination that will get me through the challenges I will endure in order to earn my degree.