What College Means to Me by Laura

What College Means to Me by Laura - June 2013 Scholarship Essay

A few years ago, I graduated from an associate’s degree program in occupational therapy, and this July, after several years of working as a therapist, I will be returning to school to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management.  As an adult learner, going back to school after having had some professional “real-world” experience (and the change in perspective that so often accompanies it), attending college this time around means many different things for me than it did the first time.
For me, attending college means getting a second chance to “do education right.”  The first time I went to college, I did so because it was the natural and expected thing to do straight out of high school.  I enjoyed school, and I’ve always excelled academically, in fact, I graduated at the top of my program!  But I never gave education the proper respect and commitment it deserved.  While my motives were pure, and my efforts were genuine; my perceptions and priorities were skewed.  I worked to get good grades, rather than for the sake of acquiring and applying knowledge.  This time, rather than merely completing assignments and achieving greatness “on paper,” I intend to be intentional about learning.  I want to expand my world view, become a better critical thinker, retain the knowledge that I accumulate, and use all of these things to better serve my co-workers, clients, and society in whatever capacity I find myself upon graduation.
For me, attending college also means broadening my knowledge base, diversifying my educational background, enabling greater opportunity for new experiences, and enhancing my networking options.  With a background in therapy and interests and work and volunteer experience in a variety of other fields, I am so excited to add a business element to my current breadth of knowledge.  I know that I have a lot of unique experiences and gifts to share with my classmates and I am so eager to learn from the diverse wealth of life experiences and gifts that they will have to offer as well.  Particularly since the program that I will be involved in is geared towards working adults and is centered on a group-model, college for me is a chance to be both a student and a teacher, to be a leader and a follower.  It is a chance to practice humility, self-sacrifice, servant hood, and perfect the art of teamwork.
And finally, for me, attending college means opening a door to world full of infinitely greater possibilities for my future.  A higher degree, in combination with my diverse educational background, will equip me to pursue a vast array of incredible and unique career opportunities.  I am seeking creative and flexible options and desiring greater leadership and responsibilities, and I believe that college will enable me to obtain these things.  I want to own my own business-one that combines elements of art and therapy and ministry, but while I have a passion for these things, I am missing the practical “know-how” of how to make it happen.  For me, attending college is the key to turning my dreams and my calling into a reality.