Battle It Out! by Jessah

Battle It Out! by Jessah - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Life is unfair, no one is perfect, and we all have our struggles. Depression, unemployment, family, the list goes on and on and all of us must face the challenges that are existent in our lives. No one is perfect and at some point we are all going to lose a battle. It’s inevitable. No matter the circumstance we are going to come up short to our expectations and goals sometimes. However, we should not be discouraged because this happens to many individuals. I have decided on this topic because teens these days have developed a fantasy of what the real world is going to be like. It’s a tough world out there once you break down the walls and become an independent. It’s important that we come to this realization because we need to be able to continue our journey, and not give up on ourselves. Failure can be a gift when you continue to fight for what you want. In the end, we feel more accomplished and improve our self-worth. We all face disappointment and rejection differently which is why it is important that we continue stay on our feet and go after not only what we need, but also what we want. Sometimes, we are going to lose, but once we finally win it will be like nothing you have felt before knowing all of your hard work paid off.
Junior year was tough for me. It was a big year for sports recruiting as college coaches can start to contact you for future placement on their team. At the time, soccer was my life. I traveled out of state for games every weekend, attended the ESPN national showcase down in Florida, and I made the Olympic Development Team representing Michigan in the Regional II Showcase. Trying to achieve my dreams of playing college soccer, I had to make some sacrifices including missing high school dances, football games, and weekends with my friends. I have always dreamed about becoming the first in my family to play a college sport and have been talking about it with my dad since the 6th grade. I emailed almost 15 different colleges and tried to get my name out, even emailing some more than once. My eyes were set on a Division I or II college where I could play soccer. Sadly, none of their eyes seemed to be set on me.
After our club soccer season was over my friends started to get offers from Ferris State, Michigan State, and Grand Valley. This took a toll on me as I started to feel like I wasn’t good enough to play for a larger school and started to realize that maybe I was losing this battle to play. Disappointment sank in, and instead of continuing to fight, I cracked and went into a depression. Almost every night I cried and the pain of my dream slipping away continued to get worse. On my mirror I wrote all of the colleges I wanted to attend and would then sit down looking at myself in the mirror crying, and trying to face the disappointment. I dreaded school, began to limit my communication with my friends, and even dug my fingernails into my wrists. Thoughts about cutting myself clouded my judgment, and I thought I had hit rock bottom. Luckily, my friends stuck with me, and pushed me to stand back up and fight. With their help, and a new urge to achieve my college dreams I found an opportunity to continue my journey at Michigan State University by joining the club soccer team. I found my happiness again and learned that I can’t back down when things get tough.
Soccer was in my blood, I ate and breathed it, and coming up short compared to my friends was disappointing. We all face different challenges in life, but I encourage you to fight those obstacles that lie ahead and not let them break you. Losing may not fit well, but it does not define us either. How you respond is one of the most important steps, as you have to fight the urge to surrender and give up. Work hard, stand up, and fight for yourself because you can achieve anything that you set your mind to.