NE by Jessica

NE by Jessica - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

I realized the reason I know how to cook is because of my mother and the reason I know how to fix and build things is because of my father. We learn from our life experiences and the more we take in, the more we grow. More than anything, I realized taking risks is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself.

You never truly know how an experience will shape your life until it’s over. This is what I learned after my past summer in Seattle, WA. When I made my decision to accept a college internship in Seattle over one of comfort and familiarity in my home town, I never could have imagined the way it would impact me. My decision to pack up and head to the Pacific Northwest by myself for three months was one of impulse. I figured if I thought about the decision hard enough I would talk myself out of the opportunity in fear of the unknown. It turns out the unknown would turn into the most influential experience in my life thus far.

Life is full of unknowns. Unknowns of who will win the big game next week to what life will look like five years from now, and who will be in it. But isn’t that the beauty of this journey. We get to make decisions one at a time never knowing how it will play into the grand scheme of things. Even the most mundane of decisions can influence one’s path. The unknown is exactly what I will be most thankful for about my college experience.

When coming to college I never thought I’d have the opportunities I’ve had or experience the things I’ve been exposed to. My journey through college is winding down and I still face unknowns every day. These unknowns are what have shaped me into the person I am today. If it weren’t for the curiosity of tomorrow, experience would never be able to impact a person full force the way it does. It is because of the unknowns in life that we can appreciate the beauty of the moment when it comes because we didn’t have time to prepare for it. We also learn our greatest lessons when we are faced with adversity we didn’t see coming. As I reflect on the unknowns in my college journey it has been evident that those moments are the ones that have cultivated the most growth.

Although I can’t even begin to imagine the true impact these years in college will have on my future, I can be confident knowing that they have equipped me with lessons far beyond the classroom. They have taught me lessons about myself that I would have never discovered. They have fostered new passions and appreciations. They have created memories and friendships I will hold onto for the rest of my life. And most of all, they have set me on my journey to the next unknown.