Life Lessons: Listening to Who I Was in Kindergarten by Kailee

Life Lessons: Listening to Who I Was in Kindergarten by Kailee - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

I remember being 6 years old vividly, and it’s because I knew exactly what I wanted to do then. I wanted to become a doctor. For a decade after, I would discover that not everyone thought that I could do it. In high school, I couldn’t even decide what I wanted to do. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout my educational endeavors is to listen to instinct, even when others think your dreams are too lofty.
I wish I could remember what first made me want to become a doctor. In college, I tried a lot of different subjects, and the first one that absolutely floored me was anatomy and physiology. It was one of the hardest, most complex, yet interesting classes I had ever been in. This past semester, physics showed me how much I love problem solving and deciphering even the most confusing puzzles and math problems. However, I had never thought that would be a possibility. Early on in my education, I struggled significantly with math and arithmetic. I had an early love of reading and writing, but math never quite clicked for me. As a result, school became significantly harder as time went on. I scraped by in math classes, too afraid to take on tough problems. I had a history of teachers telling me I was stupid, and that I would always struggle with math. In high school, one teacher even asked me if I needed anti-anxiety medication. My experience with math education was miserable at best, and I thought I had no chance of achieving my dreams. I went back and forth between many majors at first, but experiencing math and science in college was completely different for me. I had teachers who helped me through math problems, and access to tutors who could help me through my struggles. For years, I denied myself of my childhood dream because I thought I was too stupid. My educational journey has shown me the complete opposite. Knowing that what I want to do now is what I wanted to do from an early age is extremely empowering, and it has continued to push me towards my dreams. Now, as a tutor, I try to enter each session knowing that someone could be as nervous as I was. Struggling the way I did actually taught me many important lessons, and has given me the skills needed to communicate with students having issues in their coursework.
The best possible advice I can give any entering college student is to follow their dreams, intuitions, and instincts as much as possible. I was so busy listening to what everyone told me that I lost sight of myself early in college. Thankfully, with the amazing support I have had, it wasn’t impossible to find what I wanted to do. Of course you have to be honest with yourself in the pursuit of a career and education, but ultimately, following what you want to do the most and believe in the most is what will lead you to success.