The Switch by Kendle

The Switch by Kendle - March 2025 Scholarship Essay

In ten years from now, I want to be a prominent female name in the business side of sports. I have loved football ever since I was two years old, and I never thought that it was a possibility for me to have a career in football until a few months ago. For years, I wanted to go to college and major in elementary education to become a third grade teacher. I love kids and I love being creative, so I saw that teaching was the best way to express that. I begin building my Pinterest boards, outfits, and my dream classrooms. I wanted countless videos of the kindest teachers to picture my dream life and how I wanted to impact students. I was ready - all the way up until my senior year.
Junior year is when my school starts a program called Work study. It is not the work study done in college, but rather a semester-long internship that is done. We are all advised to choose a place that we want to do our future careers in, so I chose to go to an elementary school. I wanted to work with a teacher I was familiar with, so I was with 4th and 5th graders every week. I went from 11:30-3 every Wednesday for one semester, and I was having fun - until I was not. I started having major headaches because I was grading papers and teachings kids that do not want to listen. These kids now are extremely influenced by the outside world, and they no longer have the desire to learn or listen. I still was holding on to the hope of being a teacher, so I chose the same school for my senior year, which was the turning point with my career choices. Senior year I was trying to hold on to the last strand of wanting to be a teacher, but the first week I went I knew that I could no longer do it. I knew I would eventually end up quitting, and I no longer had the passion. I wanted my job to be somewhere that I wanted to go everyday and it did not feel like a job. I went back to the drawing board. I thought to myself, “What am I passionate about?” and not even two seconds later, it landed on sports, more specifically, football.
Now, I want to attend the University of Alabama and major in sports management and minor in sports media. I see myself either working for a NFL team personally or the NFL itself. I want to be a prominent woman in a male-dominated field and inspire more African American girls behind me that it is possible. I am not exactly sure what career path that I want to take because I love so many facets of the sport. I love broadcasting, event planning, social media, pretty much anything. That is why sports management is such a perfect major because I get to explore various sports and learn the business side of things, equipping me with all the tools for any career path that I would love to pursue.
My education 100% will have helped me get to that point. I go to an IB school, and although it is extremely difficult right now, I know that it will be worth it in the long run. I often complain because of how hard school is and how excellent that they demand us to be, but IB has taught me so many values that I can use later on in life. It has taught me patience, love, respect, time management, efficiency, organization, and other values as well. I would not be who I am with IB, and I will not be who I will be in the future without it as well. I am so excited for my potential future, and I cannot wait to start working in the sports industry! I will always be proud of myself for being brave enough to pursue something risky instead of safe, and not listening to others when they told me not to make the switch.