Counting on Obstacles by Kalene

Counting on Obstacles by Kalene - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

Everyone has had one or multiple academic obstacles in their life, for me it was counting. Even though I have had a bunch of other academic challenges throughout my schooling experience, one that stands out the most to me, is the time when I first learned how to count.
I was in kindergarten and was a new student who had recently transferred from a different school, so I was nervous and scared. A few weeks into the school year, the teacher pulled each student aside one by one to test them on their counting abilities. Up until that point I had only practiced numbers whenever Count Dracula on Sesame Street came on, so numbers beyond ten were more or less a giant blur. When it was my turn to go, I vividly remember sitting on a blue chair in front of the teacher who was holding a clipboard. I was so nervous, then she said, “Okay sweetheart, start counting to 100.” That is when I felt my stomach drop to the floor. I could only count to ten. I did not even know what 100 was, let alone count to it. I was terrified, so I decided that I might as well get it over with, so I began, “One, two, three, four, five , six, seven, eight, nine, ten, umm eleven, ahh thirteen…. seventeen.....sixteen...umm….”. That is when my teacher decided to stop me and dismiss me from the test. For the remainder of day I felt bad, as I watched other student go up and count all the way to 100. I remember going home and telling my mom of my awful experience at school that day. Then my mom gave me some wise words of wisdom, “Kalene, practice makes perfect.” From that point on we practiced and practiced and practiced counting.

That old saying, “practice makes perfect” really is the truth, and I had firsthand experience of it. My mother was an evening college student in Denver and on our long drive up there to take her to class, a trip we made twice a week, my dad and I would count to 100 there and back, the entire time. A few months later the teacher started pulling students aside one by one to test them again. I remember that time around I was anything but nervous, in fact I was excited to surprise the teacher with my new counting capabilities. I sat in front of her and counted all the way to 100 with no flaws, and in the end I was so overjoyed about my success.
This academic obstacle was the beginning of many and thankfully it set a precedent that I still keep alive today. The very next year I encountered a similar hardship when it came to reading, however with lots of practice and support I was able to overcome that obstacle as well. As I grew older, I came upon many other obstacles that I persevered and overcame. I also quickly learned that practicing is the best way to study for almost anything, from a history final to an AP Spanish exam. I know that I will have to confront many more obstacles in my future, thanks to my experiences and what I have learned from them, I am able to say I am ready for the challenge.