The Journey by Kameron

The Journey by Kameron - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my life, I have had so many different classes that sometimes it is hard to remember the ones that I am most grateful for. Yet, I know for a fact that the class I will always remember and always be thankful for was a huge step for my future in a variety of different ways. This class was AVID. This college-readiness program not only helped me excel in school but also outside of academics and extracurricular activities. AVID has taught me things that have made a huge difference in my life. Some of the things I will take from AVID are how to be properly organized, how to be a better person, and important life lessons that will impact my life far beyond high school.
AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and the title certainly is accurate. “In this class you will get out of it as much as you put into it.” is one of the first things my AVID teacher, Mr. Holland, told us. The purpose of this program was to prepare you for college. Yet I believe the purpose of the class is not the end goal, but rather, it is the journey that is most important.
Before AVID I barely ever made my bed; I was completely a mess. Now I always know when my next test is, I always carry an agenda and update it daily, and I know every upcoming sporting event. Small matters like knowing when I need to study for my next test has and will continue to help me do better in my classes. Even after I graduate college, I will always keep an agenda because organization is a necessity for success.
AVID has had a huge impact on my personal growth. AVID has shown me a different perspective on life through being kind and being mindful of others. During my sophomore year in high school, AVID started doing what we called High Five Staff. This is a community service opportunity on Fridays where we go into the bus parking lot and as students get off the bus we give them a high five and a piece of candy. Seeing people light up after you show them some kindness and actually end up making their day with such a small gesture is very rewarding. That is what AVID has taught me. I was so inspired that a group of friends and I started a recycling program for our school, Westside High School. We called it the Recycling Rams. We started this program because we wanted to impact our community in the same way AVID has impacted our lives. We created this program to last years after we graduate in hopes to make our school a better place.
One of the ways Mr. Holland taught us life advice was through the AVID Pearls of Wisdom. The AVID Pearls of Wisdom is a list of quotes that have come to my aid on various occasions. For example, “We all get the same 24 hours in a day. Invest your time wisely.” I find myself thinking about this quote daily. It made me realize that every day everyone has the same amount of time, but what you do with your time is what determines if you will become great or not. That is why every day whether it be in academics or extracurricular activities, I always strive for greatness. That is just one of the many life lessons that are ingrained in my consciousness.
Throughout the past four years of high school, there is no doubt that I have grown as an individual. Mr. Holland has and will continue to be a massive inspiration in my life and other students' lives. So what aspect of my education am I most thankful for? With utmost certainty I can say getting accepted into the AVID program has changed my life forever.