The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Karina

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Karina - October 2025 Scholarship Essay

It’s funny that the first book that came to mind was a children’s story by Eric Carle: The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It’s about a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. That’s it.

Okay, I thought, maybe I should go with something more sophisticated.
Got it. It’s a book I read in 11th grade, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The main character, Gregor, wakes up one day as an insect.

Sure, Gregor can be my character.
And the lesson? Isolation. Unfortunately, that’s something I see in a few classmates. A bit too dark, though.

So, I’m back to the caterpillar. She’ll be my character. I realized she’s been with me since second grade. She helped me learn to count, to read, and even to draw. She introduced me to fruits and other delicious things like watermelon. My favorite to this day.

“That’s it,” I thought. The lesson is learning the basics of life. But then I kept thinking. Maybe that’s not the only lesson.

In fourth grade science, there she was again. We raised caterpillars in screen cages and watched their transformation. We learned about metamorphosis and life cycles.

Enter the butterfly. It wasn’t just about the caterpillar anymore. I was amazed at how something so "icky" could become so beautiful. How can something that once crawled could now fly? Maybe the lesson was about change. Too obvious, I thought. Everyone changes.

Then came middle school. This time it wasn’t an experiment, but advice from my teacher given to my parents during orientation and then to us in class. She told us that when a butterfly struggles to emerge from its chrysalis, the struggle strengthens its wings. If you try to help, the butterfly might not survive. That stuck with me. The metamorphosis from an elementary kid to a high schooler. Sometimes you have to struggle to grow.

But there was one more butterfly moment. This time at home. My dad started a butterfly garden, and soon, they were everywhere. Monarchs, Zebra Longwings, Gulf Fritillaries, even the endangered Atala. Unlike the school experiment, they weren’t in cages. They were free to come and go.
Maybe that was the real lesson: independence.

I think I understand it now. To thrive, I have to learn and struggle so that I can eventually become independent. All from a caterpillar and a butterfly, one and the same.

So, I’ll stick with my first choice: The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Sorry, Kafka. And honestly, it’s not a bad choice. That 1969 book is still being read by millions, translated into many languages, and even adapted for TV. I’m sure its lessons will come up again; in college, in the medical career I’ve chosen, and in life.

Finally, thank you for giving me the opportunity to apply for this financial help.