Overcoming Hardship by Kalynn

Overcoming Hardship by Kalynn - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

One of the worst experiences of my life was 9th grade Honors IPS, and I still recognize it as one of the most challenging classes I have ever taken in high school. I was the girl who stayed after school every Tuesday for retakes, which was embarrassing knowing I was the only student in my class who did not understand the material. No matter how many questions I asked my classmates or teacher, I never comprehended the subject—one of the most embarrassing moments of my life occurred in that class. I was working in the lab with my partner. Halfway through, I realized I was recorded the wrong data. I figured my lab partner had a naturally mean-looking face, but she was looking at me like I was crazy. I felt so embarrassed that I had to leave the room. It’s a hard story to tell. I fight the urge to cringe when I think about the event.
Fortunately for me, Honors Biology was much easier. I understood the lessons and tutored classmates when they didn’t understand. The same people I asked for help in IPS came to me for help in biology. I even gained the confidence to volunteer and answer questions in class. That was something I wouldn’t dare to do in IPS. For once, I was fascinated by a topic in school; fascinated enough that I did my research on the body systems and genetics outside of school. Many of the issues discussed in biology caught my interest. Going into biology, I thought I knew what it was. Boy, was I wrong! A simple definition wouldn’t be enough to describe everything that DNA is. There are many parts to DNA, such as transcription, translation, RNA, purines, codons, pyrimidines, and much more. DNA is incredibly small, yet it plays such a large part in an individual’s life. How does this relate to my major? I want to major in Biology at Spelman to learn more about the subject I have been intrigued with since my sophomore year. Biology was the first subject I understood and had a genuine interest in.