Academic Representation by Jonathan

Academic Representation by Jonathan - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

My academic record is not the “perfect 4.0.” Yet, I believe it does accurately represent my high school journey. To friends and family, I was merely seen as that hyperactive child with an unlimited motor. My parents, with Middle Eastern values, having immigrated to the United States, were unfamiliar with most neurological conditions such as ADHD. Therefore, they were unable to recognize this disability in me or foresee how it would impact me in the future. My parents had planned for me to take grade-level, non-honors or AP courses throughout school, and eventually attend a community college close to home. Thankfully, I was diagnosed with ADHD prior to high school and had time to develop my plan of action. Academically, I would not accept the bare minimum. I asked my counselor to enroll me in the most challenging courses my high school had to offer. Freshman year, I struggled academically. Despite initially craving the challenge, I began to question my abilities. I connected with family members, who also had ADHD and had taken the community college route, and they advised me to keep moving forward: “A four-year university is worthwhile.” I took their advice wholeheartedly and chose to push onwards, facing the reality that my attention deficiency disorder would be an inevitable obstacle. Nonetheless, I loved learning, and did not want to compromise the opportunity to learn as much as possible. This year, as a senior, I am taking four AP classes, and I intend to continue to take academically challenging courses at the college level. My academic record illustrates my drive to challenge myself in the classroom, while simultaneously being extremely involved in activities outside of the classroom. In addition, my ACT score reflects my ability to succeed academically on a national level.