Growth by Josue

Growth by Josue - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

Growth. There are so many ways to grow as a person, and college is one of the biggest ways people grow in the decade between 20 and 30 years old. The most obvious type of growth is academic; all the new knowledge received in classes can really change a person. Personal growth is sometimes bigger than academic growth and occurs as one learns what kind of person they want to be and what is important once they are out of the shadow of their parents and out on their own. The final type of growth is a combination of the two because once college is ended it is expected that a person is ready to contribute to society through work, volunteering, or having children.
The goal of a college degree is knowledge. The major chosen dictates what area most of a person’s knowledge is focused on. Students who major in engineering, for example, can be sure to have considerable knowledge in science and math. They also receive basic knowledge of society by having various general credits in humanities, history, and English. Towards the end of an academic career the knowledge is even more direct. Using Civil Engineering as an example, a student majoring in this area would be expected to have a vast knowledge of materials used, structure types, environmental implications of materials or structures, etc. With all of the hours spent in class, and doing homework, it would be impossible not to have academic growth during a college career.
Personal growth is a by-product of college that is just as important as your academic accomplishments. College, for most students, is the first time they are out on their own. The first time they can decide what to do with their time without the same amount of control from parents. This is often the time a person really learns what they believe and why they believe it. College is a time when one can be part of clubs or societies in which they can participate to change social issues. Its also a time when a person chooses what career field they want to choose for the rest of their life. All of these choices can and should change a person and help them grow personally.
Upon graduation it is expected that a student will be ready to go out into the world and work. College is a time to decide what you want to do so that you can go to work and contribute to society when you’re done. For some this contribution comes through their work. Almost any type of company contributes to society in some way. Being part of that contribution allows a person to gain a sense of community and ownership for the world they are a part of. For others the next step is to have children and start a family. Even a woman at home rearing children all day is contributing to society. The values and education she instills in her children dictate in many instances the kind of people they will grow up to be and the things they will accomplish. In what ever way a person chooses, their lives after college allow them to grow and become the person they have always wanted to be. A young business man grows into a seasoned CEO the same way an intern grows into a surgeon that thinks of new ways to save lives.
It is my hope that college will be spring board to start growth in my life. What can start as academic growth becomes something that can completely change a person and put them on a path to change their own little house, or the whole world. As always the opportunity for growth will only be there for those willing to put in the work to change and experience personal growth that allows them to be a better person and a better contributor to society.