Navigating the Unforseen by Katelyn

Katelyn's entry into Varsity Tutor's April 2020 scholarship contest

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Navigating the Unforseen by Katelyn - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

As the tassel trailed her cap while it sailed through the late spring breeze, Mary beamed at her fellow graduates. Scanning the sea of caps strewn across the football field for the one she, Mary had not a care in the world. She looked to the party her parents were throwing after the ceremony to celebrate her graduation from high school. After twelve long years of school, she was finally done. Completely. Never again would she sit through another pointless lecture or study for an excruciating exam. Unlike most of her peers, Mary did not have to worry how she would ever pay down thousands in student debt because she had chosen to bypass college and immediately enter the workforce. No debt and start making money right away? The decision was a no-brainer.
As the only child and grandchild on both sides, Mary was used to being spoiled. After the divorce in the middle of fifth grade, she went to live with her widower grandfather who made sure she wanted for nothing. Her extravagant wardrobe, fun money, and gas were all furnished by grandpa who expected nothing in return. After graduation, he had promised Mary she could start as a receptionist at his car dealership. Still entirely supported by grandpa, Mary worked her way up to shift manager in a few years. Mary took time off when over she liked to fulfill her every whim. However, this did not last long.
Standing by her grandfather’s grave, Mary’s mind reeled. Not only was she attempting to cope with the death of her father-figure, but Mary no longer had a way to support herself. After her grandfather’s medical expenses, the closing of the dealership, and lawyers’ fees, Mary’s support had disappeared overnight. She had begun her job search at her grandfather’s suggestion in the last few weeks before he passed. Even though she had experience, she was turned away time after time because she did not have a degree. This wasn’t her only problem. As his only living relative, she was responsible for sitting down with lawyers to make final decisions and pay debts in addition to taking care of these things for herself. Never had she needed to dedicate this much concentration to any one task. She couldn’t just walk away and pass it to someone else when it got tough. As she struggled to make these provisions, Mary remembered the last thing her grandfather said to her: “I’m sorry. I have failed to teach you the skills for surviving in the real world. Take the money left and enroll yourself in a community college. There, you will learn much more than the material for class.”
After struggling to keep up with deadlines, payments, and mental stability, she finally heeded her grandfather’s advice. To say she had a rough few weeks would be an understatement. Mary constantly missed assignment deadlines, failed exams, and struggled to structure her time efficiently. Before this, she had never needed to provide for herself. Just like her finances, Mary was used to being handed detailed instructions to follow. She failed to acknowledge the severity of deadlines, could not communicate questions to professors, and lacked the initiative to study by herself. When she received mostly Cs and Ds during her first semester, Mary knew this couldn’t continue. Learning from the past, she dedicated most of her time to her studies. She organized dates for assignments and exams, forced herself to focus on one thing without becoming distracted, and sought help from professors and tutors. After the second semester, she was pleased to see her hard work had paid off. She finished the semester with As and Bs, a huge improvement from her first semester.
Mary’s grades weren’t the only things that improved. With her improved organization skills, she was able to keep track of credit card payments, rent, and debt fees. She was even able to create and maintain a weekly budget. Instead of taking advantage of the first thing that came her way, Mary researched suggestions on important decisions, such as how to build her credit score. She was now able to sift through investment options and decipher legal documents she had previously signed without reading. Mary learned how to communicate with different types of people by navigating class discussions and expressing her questions to professors. In a few years, she managed to graduate college with a degree in accounting. The communication skills she once lacked proved indispensable when it came time to apply for jobs and complete interviews. As Mary faced the realities of supporting herself, she relied heavily on the skills she had acquired while putting herself through school.
In order for society to function as it does today, there needs to be a population of manual laborers educated by trade schools as well as college educated thinkers. Whether or not an individual applies the information taught in the class toward his future career, the skills developed through a college education can be applied in more contexts than a classroom just as Mary’s experience suggests. With a college education comes the refinement of higher order thinking. This higher order thinking can be applied in organizing financial decisions, managing limited time wisely, and connecting with others. With everyone possessing a degree of this advanced mindset, citizens will make life decisions to benefit themselves and those around them.

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