The Balance of Life by Kendall

The Balance of Life by Kendall - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

The score on my very first college exam was a 47%, a solid F. My initial gut reaction was to start making excuses. I was facing an aggressive first-semester schedule. I was struggling personally with the effects of an abusive relationship. I was still adjusting to the rigors of college. I was seriously bummed about putting on the Freshman fifteen. Of course, these excuses only served to compound my mistake, and I began to doubt myself after a disappointing start to my undergraduate career.

As Thanksgiving break drew near, I faced an academic mountain - four exams, three papers and what felt like about two hours of sleep each night. I stopped spending time with friends and started obsessing about my GPA. As I wallowed in self-induced stress and anxiety, my childhood best friend called me to say...Goodbye. Through her frustrated tears, she confessed that she felt like a worthless failure and that she had driven to a bridge, planning to jump. I thought my heart was going to explode, but I managed to keep talking to her and simultaneously contacted her parents and campus police. Once I knew that she was safe, all I could think about was how lucky I am.

Then and there, I realized that I had become so self-absorbed with my personal challenges, that I had lost sight of what is truly important – I had become myopic to the environment around me. At that moment, I felt small, but that moment also helped me to remember to experience every minute of my life as an opportunity to learn, love and enjoy. I learned to own my failures and that making excuses only makes everything worse. I also learned that balance is not only a good thing, but it is also a necessity. Beyond grades and physical health, mental health is essential to overall wellness, yet we often fall short of understanding or addressing issues until a crisis arises.

Along with mental health intervention, I remembered that nothing beats a positive attitude. Despite my first semester struggles, I am a stronger person having made it through. Since that rough start to college, I have not only improved my academic performance but expanded my horizons. I started a pre-med mentorship program, joined a research team investigating PTSD therapies at the Veteran’s Hospital, and trained to become a campus resource specialist and educator for healthy relationships. Inspired by conquering my own failures, I not only found personal success, but also ways to educate and benefit others.