What has been your biggest achievement during your education and how will it support your future goals? by Larkin

What has been your biggest achievement during your education and how will it support your future goals? by Larkin - August 2023 Scholarship Essay

I feel my biggest achievement during my education was being able to maintain a GPA well over 4.0 while juggling multiple facets in my life. I have learned the importance of being a well-rounded person to be better prepared for college and ultimately life. I learned to keep academics a priority in my life while still being an athlete, volunteer, mentor, daughter, sister, cousin, church member, and friend.
I have been involved with sports since the age of 8. I was named a 3-time Academic All-American in volleyball, named the North Carolina Region Volleyball Division 1 tournament MVP, awarded All Conference in high school, and named team captain on multiple sport teams. As a result of spending so much time on the court and in the classroom developing knowledge about the game, I was able to share this knowledge with the youth in my community by offering lessons, camps, and clinics for a nominal fee.
I am also a member of multiple academic organizations to include the Beta Club, Principals honor roll, Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program, Academy of Natural Science, National Youth Leadership Forum Scholarship Program, National Society of High School Scholars Program, Congress of Future Medical Leaders, and the Honors Society. I am a volunteer with Cumberland County Schools to assist with the special needs population and am also a mentor for the school system.
To be a well-rounded person, I feel it is important to be a lifelong learner and to push myself outside of my comfort zone. My parents always taught me to jump “headfirst” into something that I was uncomfortable doing. They helped me to understand that by doing something I was uncomfortable with, I would conquer my fear and it would no longer be uncomfortable. Something I used to be uncomfortable doing was being in a role of leadership. So naturally, it was important for me to do that. (No matter how nervous or uneasy I felt about it). Whether it was in academics, sports, clubs, church, volunteering, etc. I have involved myself in many leadership roles and extracurricular activities, but none were more important to me than volunteering with the special needs population.
I started volunteering with the school system to help my mom out with her job as a physical therapist working with the exceptional pediatric population. Little did I know that instead of helping my mom and the children, they ended up helping me. I made the mistake of assuming physical disability equated to cognitive impairments and I could not have been more wrong. The first time I volunteered I met a sweet little girl; I will call her “Sara.” When I met Sara, she was 4 years old and used a wheelchair and walker to get around in the schools. She was a quiet, curly red-haired, blue-eyed little girl that generally would stay in her wheelchair 90% of the time. She had difficulties with speaking and would use gestures to communicate. Through nine years of volunteering with the schools, I got to know Sara and she began to open up to me. I was shocked to find that she understood exactly what was being said in conversation and through speech therapy was beginning to communicate more effectively. Not only did she show improvements in her speech but also her ability to walk and now walks without an assistive device.
Not only did working with this population teach me to not fall for the cliché of “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” but also helped me to appreciate that I was born healthy and to never take it for granted. It also helped to refocus my perspective. As you can see from my extracurricular activities, volleyball is important to me. I have spent exhaustive hours on the court since the age of 8 sharpening my skills which ultimately lead to me committing to play volleyball on the college level. While volleyball continues to be extremely important to me, I understand that it will only be a small “snap shot” of my life. The bigger picture will be the mark I leave in this world and how I can help my community. For these reasons I am committed to continued volunteer work and continue my education and pursue a career in pediatric dentistry.
The lessons and knowledge I gained through working with the special needs population have helped me to have a better understanding of the population and the major contributions they can make to our community. I truly felt I was “doing them a favor” by helping at various events but once I took the time to spend with these awesome kids, I quickly learned they were some of the most artistic, giving, determined, and unique individuals I would ever meet in my life. Because of these experiences, my future plans are set, and I have a clear understanding of my purpose in this world.
In conclusion, I feel my biggest achievement in academics was not only maintaining a GPA well above 4.0 but also a solid understanding of the need to have a good balance in your life and be well rounded. As a result of being able to balance a well-rounded life, I spent valuable time as a volunteer which helped me to understand that my future is in the field of pediatric dentistry.