Resiliency: A Force of Nature by Jeremy

Resiliency: A Force of Nature by Jeremy - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

It was the first high school chemistry test of the semester and I felt confident because I had prepared well in advance. A week passed and the graded exams were being handed back. I failed. After class, I spoke to the instructor. He said, “You will never have a career in the health professions. You failed one of my easiest exams.” I was taken aback. Never had I failed a chemistry exam but I took the challenge as one I could overcome. Taking initiative, I attended all of the instructor’s office hours following the exam. I then changed my study techniques into one I was unfamiliar with but was more aligned with my learning method. To adapt to the situation, I used the resources around me to overcome the obstacle. I formed study groups in the class. I went to the learning center to analyze my test and find the pattern of mistakes. I used critical thinking to analyze the situation and I was determined. Not only did I score a 106 on the following exam, but I also earned an A in his class. My persistence and perseverance would not let me succumb to the challenges of the problem which is why resiliency is a word that describes why I wish to attend college.

Every time I hear the word "resiliency", I immediately think about my great-grandmother, who paved the way for many African-American people. Resiliency is being able to show strength in the face of adversity or challenge. I say this because Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and my great grandmother were resilient. The still awe-inspiring stories of the two former continue to be told today, but the story of the latter is one only a few individuals will be able to hear in person. My great-grandmother grew up in small-town Belzoni, MS in the early 1900s and her mother was obstinate regarding her children's education. My great-grandmother did not know much about her public school before going, but she would soon come to find out that she would integrate the school. This is resiliency because she saw it as a challenge and something that needed to be done despite being the only person of color at the school. 

Resiliency is not only important to have while participating in a veterinary education program, but it is necessary. Although one may not have to face resistance to the extent my great-grandmother endured, veterinary medicine is not an easy skill to learn and grasp. This is why resiliency is important. One must have the will to continue when the material becomes difficult or a grade is not what was expected. A personal example of resiliency that I have had experience happened in January 2017 when I was diagnosed with frostbite and did not have a motor function or nerve sensation in five of my fingers. I had to have resiliency when my classes began the next week after my hospital stay because I knew that I wanted a career in veterinary medicine and, no matter the circumstances, I want to be able to provide my clients and patients with the best service and care possible, respectively, whether I have frostbite affecting five of my fingers or none of my fingers.

In respect to life after graduation, resiliency is a key skill that, although not necessarily taught, becomes important. As an African-American male, I have had and will have to have resiliency throughout the rest of my life because there have been instances in my life where I have faced discrimination because of my race, age, and gender. Entering my graduate program was difficult because I was one of two people who had just graduated from college so I was the youngest person in my cohort and, without resiliency, I would not have been able to thrive in the classroom. Although resiliency is not explicitly stated in a handbook on life, it is an important skill to have whether participating in a veterinary education program or not because there will be challenges throughout life that will test that resiliency and, without it, one will not be able to handle the rigors most challenges bring.

When I began my higher learning as a first-generation college student, I was faced with tremendous adversity in finances and education, as I had to work 20 hours a week. My experiences will contribute to my personal goal by helping to provide a unique area of perspective that is essential to academic and professional excellence. There is a stereotypical view of a “veterinarian” seen in modern society and, with the help of this scholarship, I intend to change the idea that a veterinarian cannot be an African-American male with a distinct upbringing. Despite my disadvantaged past and altered history with my father, I was able to obtain, begin and pursue a bachelor’s, masters and doctoral degree through my resiliency. With the help of my resiliency, I want to serve as a role model for those minority groups who aspire to have a career in science but become discouraged because they do not see someone who looks like them in the profession.