My first degree by Kara

My first degree by Kara - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

My greatest academic success so far has been getting my associates degrees. It was a long, hard road. In the end, however, it proved to me that I can eventually succeed in school. I was able to overcome the obstacles in my life and move forward a little bit at a time. Now, I can move forward.

I started my associates degrees in 2002, and only finished in 2013. This certainly wasn’t the plan. Taking so long was a blow to the ego. I started to doubt myself. In the end, though, I overcame the issues that were holding me back.

My first obstacle was getting kicked out of the house by my mother. I never had a father to fall back on. Still, I worked hard to support myself and put myself through school. When financial aid fell through and I couldn’t go to class, I got a job and paid off my student loans. When my wife fell sick I supported her. And when she got better I went back to school. Finally, when I got let go from my job I kept at school.

And I managed it. Finally, I have a degree and can move on to bigger things. In this case, it’s given me the confidence and chance to try for a 4 year degree. I can finally move on with life, and maybe make it a little better.