First Attempt by Jon

First Attempt by Jon - August 2014 Scholarship Essay

In my first attempt at school I failed, horribly! I was awarded a scholarship to Augustana College for football, however it wasn't until I was there that I realized I no longer wished to play football. This created a very difficult decision, and consequences for me at that point in my life.

It all began when I first arrived. Something just didn't feel right, everyone I had met was nice, and friendly, and very helpful; however, I couldn't get over the fact that something just felt wrong. After the season I realized how happy and relieved I was that I no longer had to attend practice, work out, or constantly be studying a playbook, and it felt good! At that point I realized that I could no longer play football, so I quite simply quit. I spoke with my coaches, teammates, and family and everyone, while disappointed, understood my position and the way I felt; or so I thought.

After returning from winter break I was surprised to find that I was no longer being included with my friends, they were not inviting me to meals, or speaking with me about classwork. This led to my realization that they were not satisfied with my decision to leave the team. This was heartbreaking for me and I began to spiral. My grades fell dramatically, and I ended up being placed on academic probation. I realized how alone I was then, and I simply could not do it. I left Augustana during the spring semester.

After I returned home, I began taking classes at the community college and met a new group of friends who accepted me for who I was. From there I moved to Iowa, where I took a year away from school to gain residency and save money. Once I had achieved this goal I began attending the University of Iowa while working full-time as a manager at a local grocery store. Since then I have worked my way, and paid my own way throughout school when I graduated this past May with a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology. Now I am beginning the next step in my academic career and I am pursuing a Master's Degree in Business from the University of Phoenix.