A Drop in a Lake by Jordan

A Drop in a Lake by Jordan - May 2019 Scholarship Essay

There are several issues I am passionate about, among them, human trafficking, abortion, and homelessness. However, I think that there is one issue that plagues my hometown the most out of every issue I want to change. If I were given a $10,000 grant, I would give it to my high school to spend on academics.

Students are the future, and I find the lack of money going into education spending appalling. Recently, an $807 million bond went to vote for the school district I am in, and, despite the advocation of the bond by teachers, educators, and students, it did not pass due to the tax hike that people expected. I know $10,000 would not even be close to fulfilling all the goals of the bond, but the schools need help. At the beginning of the semester, my AP government class was full. If a student came to class late, they would have to sit on the floor or on a stool the teacher had in her classroom because there were no more desks to sit in. That classroom had over thirty students, and another class of mine, AP physics C, also had over thirty students. Scientific evidence shows that students learn better in smaller class sizes, around twenty students. These are only issues that I see, and I know there must be more behind the scenes problems that I, as a student, am unaware of. A $10,000 grant could not solve the issues I see, but it could go into fixing a problem that the administration knows is pressing but does not have the funds to act on. I am also a firm believer that every little bit helps. All it takes is a drop to form a ripple effect. Something must change, and if I had the opportunity to start or aid this change taking place, I would be so happy.

Not only would giving the money to the school benefit my hometown by helping the students of the town, but it would have far-reaching effects. Many students who benefit from the education they receive will not stay in their hometown, but instead, they will move to different places and benefit that town. They may even become a government official and benefit a state or the whole country. I do not know a lot of people at my school, but, of the people I do know, three are very open about wanting to be president, and a couple of others are vocal about wanting to become Congresspeople. By giving them a better education, they could change the whole country and use their power to aid foreign countries, thereby improving the world. Donating the money to the school would ensure that the money would continue to give.

So many things are wrong in my hometown, and even more things are wrong in the world, but I would use the grant to improve my local high school with absolutely no hesitation. Improving the education system and making sure students know about the injustices in the world helps the issues get fixed. We want a better future, but the next generation is in charge of the future. A better future cannot come without improving the education of the future leaders.