Finding Solutions for Others in Problems I Faced by Katie

Finding Solutions for Others in Problems I Faced by Katie - February 2023 Scholarship Essay

While organizing boxes of peanut butter, donated by community members for our local food pantry, I was humbled remembering when those food pantries were an essential part of my childhood. I grew up in a home where neither of my parents attended college, and we lived paycheck to paycheck. My past experience of growing up in a low-income household made me understand the importance of furthering my education. I want to do something I truly love at a liveable wage while helping families that are financially struggling, similar to my upbringing. Growing up I saw multiple issues with the world that I actively work to improve as I become an adult. My soft skill of conflict-management played a key role in this – I saw a problem and found ways to fix it for others.

For instance, I have two older sisters who found extra stress their senior year of high school. It should be a year of celebrating your accomplishments, however my family was looking for loose change to cover the cost of senior photos, graduation gowns, and more. Even after being able to afford it, my sisters didn’t love their senior portraits. They noted their smiles looked canned and they felt awkward behind the camera. I thought to myself, “I could do that and fix those issues.” And I did. I spent my senior year building a project to provide free senior photo shoots for families facing hardship. I’ve provided twenty free senior photoshoots in my life, and have a growing photography business alongside it.

While growing up with limited money created trails in my life, I ultimately learned and grew from the strength my parents exhibited through it. Despite their parents' lack of financial literacy, they always supported me. My dad would wait until his paycheck to take me to Famous Footwear. He would buy me new shoes so that I could play volleyball and basketball. My mom would work through payment plans to fund me attending state leadership conferences for FFA. They never wanted their lack of money to impact my opportunities, and I am so thankful for that.

Their support led me to the confidence and ambitions I currently own, such as conflict-management. I am a student at the University of Idaho with a passion for photography and advocating for groups through media practices. Throughout college I have been able to serve in many leadership positions and be apart of many programs such as Vice President of Community Engagement for Panhellenic, Social Media and Real Wellness chair for Gamma Phi Beta, Communications Director for my department, university cheerleader, as well as a plethora of other opportunities all made possible by the education.