Making the Team by Jordan

Making the Team by Jordan - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

You could always tell when it was pep rally day. There was a certain unspoken excitement among all the students that was contagious and it infected everyone. Students paraded the halls decked out in gold and blue, players wore their home game jerseys, and teachers practiced the choreography they would perform for the students. Each Friday afternoon spent in the gym cheering on our peers radiated an overwhelming sense of community, but it was nothing compared to the feeling I got when I joined the Warren East Renaissance team.
It was the summer before my senior year. I was handing out schedules to new students at the open house for incoming freshman. After my pile had been completely passed out and the crowd had dwindled down, I joined the other students who had volunteered with me. I recognized most of them as Renaissance students from the year before. I realized that I was the only non-Renaissance student helping that day and this realization prompted me to put in an application. Before I even had the chance, the head of Renaissance herself called me into her classroom. She had noticed my hard work and how well I got along with the existing members and as a result offered me a spot on the team! I could not have been more excited and honored. After all, these students were the ones responsible for planning and executing the pep rallies that I esteemed so highly. I accepted the position with the utmost gratitude and before long I was added to the “roster.” As a senior in high school, I made the team.
The reason this is such a significant accomplishment to me is because of the amazing opportunities it has provided me. I have listened to speaker after speaker discuss how to be a good leader, address the qualities a leader should have and even evaluate me personally to help determine what kind of leader I am. These speakers have influenced me to not only become a better person but a better Renaissance member as well by helping me develop my skills as a leader. Another opportunity I have received through Renaissance is the ability to volunteer within my classrooms, school, and community. We have helped brainstorm and implement bulletin boards, banners, and rewards within our school. Additionally, my team and I have distributed awards, certificates, candy, and gifts that we have helped prepare to students and teachers alike. We also look to help people in our community. In fact, we are traveling to the Salvation Army on December 9th to do just that: serve homeless people a hearty Christmas meal and deliver socks, hats, and gloves we collected from our clothing drive. Without these opportunities Renaissance has given me, I would not value the time I spend giving back to those around me the way I do today.
Making the Renaissance team has impacted me in such a positive way. I am so grateful for the doors it has opened for me and I am indebted to Mrs. Marr who saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. The moment I joined Renaissance was by far one of the proudest moments in my life and it truly is the gift that keeps giving back.