Best foot forward by Jesse

Best foot forward by Jesse - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

I am a 34 year old high school graduate. After my most recent injury, I realized I could become disabled if I continued working in landscaping. Most labor related jobs I have been in, have been jobs that are dangerous or difficult work. They take my time away from my family, sometimes working 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. I knew I had to make a change to be a functional part of my family's life.

So I decided to start playing to my strengths in technology. Through books and online classes, I pursued avenues for continued education alone. I took online courses from a few different free knowledge sites and knew that developing the skills wasn't enough. I also had prove I had the skills necessary. That was until one of my friends recommended studies at WEST GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY as a route to better opportunities.

I have some friends who pursued degrees in programming and information security. They had recommended that I pursue a similar degree many times, and played to my interest in creating content for games. While those ideas have always intrigued me they didn't provide the motivation for change. It was realizing that my children are only young once. I had to prove the road before them wasn't an impossible one. I didn't want them to see me ham-stringed and assume that life amounts to circumstance or luck. That's why I chose #futurefootsteps. I realized I was the greatest example they could see. They will follow my feet. And if I believed that age or life circumstances could prevent me from moving forward, they would too. If there is anything I can do to cause their stars to shine brighter, there is nothing I want to do to stop that.