The Best No-Plan Plan I've Had by Leana

The Best No-Plan Plan I've Had by Leana - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

Like many other kids, I dreamed of going to college not just for education, but as a way to escape the chaos of family drama and personal hardships. That’s what led me to the University of California, Santa Cruz. To be honest, it was the only UC I got into, as I didn’t apply to any CSU schools. So, when I got the acceptance email, I clicked the “accept” button without ever visiting the campus, looking through the website, or even knowing what I wanted to major in. I remember thinking, “Welp, I guess we’re moving to Santa Cruz for a while.”
I had never even been to Northern California before, so everything felt completely new. The environment, the people, the city—it was a huge culture shock. I moved onto campus with no solid plan, feeling a strange mix of excitement, uncertainty, and anxiety. But as I began to settle in, I started talking to different people about their majors and finally took the time to explore the UCSC website. That’s when I landed on Cognitive Science.
Back in high school, I had taken AP Psychology and found myself fascinated by behavioral health, and how different neurons and hormones influence our mood, cognition, and even basic body functions. That interest only grew when I spent my summers doing respite care for children on the autism spectrum. Somewhere along the way, it clicked—I had a natural connection with kids. I loved learning from them, and being someone who could help them build their communication, motor, and behavioral skills felt incredibly rewarding.
During my second year at UCSC, I decided to double major with Psychology. It felt like I was finally heading in the right direction. Courses like Psychobiology of Stress and Well-being, Health Psychology, and Culture and Cognition became some of my absolute favorites. They helped me connect the dots between what I was learning in the classroom and what I had experienced in real-life caregiving roles.
Ultimately, I plan to take what I’ve learned and apply it toward a career as an Occupational Therapist, specifically working in pediatric care. I want to continue supporting kids the way I’ve had the chance to in the past—by helping them grow, learn, and feel empowered in their own skin.