Setting Students Free by Kelly

Setting Students Free by Kelly - November 2019 Scholarship Essay

When my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she soon forgot who I was. I watched her struggle to enunciate the syllables which formed my name, and eventually forget these sounds altogether. I felt helpless as I reached for her hand and watched her view me as a stranger, confused by my desire to comfort her. Although I understood that she could no longer control these actions, this did not negate the fact that my own grandmother forgot me. Thus, I promised myself that I would never find myself feeling this powerless again. It was in these moments that I understood that it was necessary for me to aim to control every feasible aspect of my life, while simultaneously allowing others this same control.

Therefore, while many of my high school peers spent their weekends spending money, I dedicated every weekend to working and creating a savings account. After finishing my homework on school nights, I researched the best savings plans for college as well as odd jobs to earn any extra income that I could. Rather than allowing these years to pass me by, I truly appreciated every second that I had to save this income without any additional expenses. Whether I was working shifts on the weekends, babysitting on school nights, or cleaning pools in the summer, I allotted all of these earnings to my savings and rapidly developed a college fund. I learned at an early age that life does not offer handouts, but it does provide rewards for those who embody tenacity and determination.

As the years progressed, the storage of memories as well as my personal integrity strengthened. Through the rehearsal of these actions, these recollections established a home in my long-term memory. Thus, I recognized that although I was fortunate enough to maintain the ability to work and save for college, not every student chooses this path. Therefore, I began to speak to students at my former high school about the benefits of attending a community college rather than spending astronomical amounts of money at a university. I promoted the STARS program which is offered in New Jersey to the top fifteen percent of high school seniors who maintain superior grade point averages. I spoke of the pressures of attending universities as students watch their friends leave for college and begin their lives without parental supervision or guidance. However, I reasoned that it is vital not to look for instant gratification, but to choose the journey that will lead you to the optimal destination, including less debt and greater opportunities for financial freedom. In a further attempt to allow this financial freedom to reach my local high school students, I established a gift basket auction to benefit these seniors preparing for college. This event flourished to raise twelve thousand dollars, which were used in their entirety to support student scholarships. Thus, it was not only important for me to maintain my own financial freedom, but to set the youth within my community free as well.

In this final stage of memory, I retrieve the information that has accumulated. These memories have fortified the foundation of my future. This base will allow me to pursue my dreams without the incessant hesitations associated with lack of funds and debt. I will continue to control this aspect of my life in honor of my grandmother. I will never allow an aspect that I can control to make me feel helpless. Rather, I will soar because I maintain the freedom to succeed and the power to spread this success within my community.