Don't Make Excuses, Find Solutions by Kimberly

Don't Make Excuses, Find Solutions by Kimberly - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

If I were to give one piece of advice to younger students, I would encourage them to begin their academic career as soon as possible after high school. As a 42 year old student pursuing a bachelor’s degree, I know all too well how easy it is to get sidetracked by life. The passing of time will only give a person more excuses to wait to begin a program.

I was a better-than-average high school student, but the idea of choosing a school and degree path intimidated me, so I decided to enlist in the Air Force immediately after graduating. While the military offered numerous educational opportunities, I felt I couldn’t spare the time it would take to work towards a degree. Eventually as the years passed and I left the military, my free time became scarcer with the addition of a family, and I even allowed my eligibility for the GI Bill to lapse. Because of my lack of education and multiple moves required for my military spouse, I was unable to get started on a solid career path and had to take whatever job I could get after each move. During my time at each job I was able to eventually earn the respect of supervisors and coworkers, but without a degree on my resume I started each job in an entry level position. As my children grew older, I wanted to inspire them not to follow in my footsteps and finally began my college education in my late thirties. Time is still a scarce resource, but I know that the work I am doing will open up many more possibilities for the future.

I take every opportunity to tell younger students, including my children, not to make excuses as I did and try to help them find solutions. If they are unsure of what courses to take, I encourage them to take the general requirements and then begin to follow their interests. If they are concerned about how they will pay, I explain financial aid and other possible sources of funding. The concerns about “time” I try to counter with my experience that time will only become more of an issue the older they get, but in taking classes now they also gain time with the knowledge and concepts and eventually after they graduate they will have more years to spend in their career field of choice and will come closer to finding their potential sooner.