Musings of Purpose by Katia

Musings of Purpose by Katia - August 2022 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my life I have chased awards and accolades throughout things I wasn’t very interested in, simply to gain fleeting validation. Recently, I have experienced an epiphany. That epiphany told me that if I truly love something, validation will come naturally. The things I spend my time on should be relevant and enjoyable, so that they do not feel like work. Of course, work ethic is a very important character trait, but the wrong kind of work ethic is the type characterized by countless days and nights stressing over useless, despised tasks.
This is why my academic goal for this school year is to listen to my own personal aspirations rather than others’ expectations of me.

Fast forward 60 years, and I am looking back at an old photo album, where I encounter a portrait from my high school years. On top of my head is a red graduation cap, and draping over my body is a gown, embellished with cords and spirit. Will my memories of adolescence be ones of disgust? Pride? Perseverance? Will I look back and remember all the hard work I put in to get to my current point? Will I regret my choices and path of life? I generally enjoy learning, and grades are not something I stress over too much. So currently, my only issue is finding out what I want for myself. My future will be much more prosperous if I explore what I am genuinely interested in outside of school, and eventually discover a fulfilling career.

One personal passion of mine is piano performance. In my free time, I spend hours a day, meticulously plucking keys to the works of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Scarlatti. However over the past few months, my practice time has been cut short due to other commitments taking up most of my time. I am much more intrinsically devoted to this passion, and now I have realized, I need to go for it. A life without passion is no life at all.

As I approach adulthood, I am not going to spend hours and hours of my precious time pleasing other people, and not taking a minute to think about what I truly value and want. I will be just right by following my heart, maintaining stellar grades, and keeping up relationships with my peers. Outside of school, I will not succumb myself to monotonous superficial activities that annoy me, but rather enriching opportunities that I am passionate about. Only then, will I feel validated by myself.