Extracurricular Revelation by Lisa

Extracurricular Revelation by Lisa - October 2015 Scholarship Essay

All of eighth grade I anticipated commencing my journey into high school the following year as an English scholar. I knew I would be accepted into freshmen Honors English; I was a phenomenal writer. My parents had told me so. When the counselor handed me my ninth grade schedule, the knowing smile on my face was more than ready to acknowledge my written acceptance into Honors English. My eyes scanned the letter: “Lisa Amador, we regret to inform you that all of the spots in Honors English have been filled.” I was confused and ashamed. How could I have been rejected? I thought I was more than average. Was I so naive that the one thing I knew for certain I excelled at, I was truly only mediocre?
Eventually, I realized I had to fulfill my extracurricular sports requirement. I reluctantly resolved to try out for the school volleyball team where I would channel my resentment and embarrassment every day until I made the team.
I kept this pessimistic mindset all throughout my first semester of regular English. I ultimately blamed my failure on my then-current English teacher, Mrs. Hernandez. I suspected she had been the one to read my essay and determined my writing style too different from her strict structure and thus had fervently rejected mine, ignoring its artful and brilliant content. I resolved not to enjoy her class. Every day after school I would spike the indignation out of me during volleyball practice.
My coach assigned me to the position of middle hitter. My job was to prepare for the hit as one teammate would pass to the setter who would then set the ball for me to hit. Although we won games, we lost some too. After every loss, I felt ashamed that I was not able to help the team more. My coach and teammates powered on, so I knew I would need to do so as well. Each practice became therapeutic for me as I persevered through the losses and trained until I improved. The days were arduous and sweaty, but each day in volleyball taught me to filter my emotions. By directing my feelings of self-consciousness and anger into ones of perseverance, determination, and strength I began to see development. I became stronger, faster, and happier than I had ever been.
Near the end of the first semester, volleyball season ended. I again was left alone with my bitterness. The last day before winter break, as usual, was spent waiting for the bell to ring that would dismiss me from the humiliation that was English class. Finally, the bell rang. As it rang, Mrs. Hernandez wished us goodbye: “Have an amazing winter break! I hope something magical happens!” What she said resonated with me and shattered the hostility I held towards her. None of her students had been particularly outstanding, yet she hoped "something magical” would happen to each of us over our winter break. How a woman could express such kindness and generosity to people like me, who did not sincerely appreciate her, amazed and bewildered me. At that moment, I realized how irrational I had been. Why had I allowed my bitterness to consume me and, in turn, rob Mrs. Hernandez of the admiration and respect she deserved from me? I related my rejection from Honors English to the losses my team had endured throughout volleyball season. Failure happens every day. What makes a person different and worthy of success is how they react. I spoke with Mrs. Hernandez voluntarily for the first time that year. I thanked her for a semester of dedicated teaching and for being so considerate. That semester I had failed as a person, however, that day I resolved to succeed.
After winter break, I walked into regular English with a new attitude. I would embrace every aspect of English class. Mrs. Hernandez turned out to be an exceptional teacher and mentor, and I am honored to say she assisted me in improving my writing, which lead to my acceptance into Honors English the following year, my continuation into Advanced Placement English Language, and my net love and passion for the subject.
Without participating in volleyball, I would never have grown into who I am today. My resolution of change and perseverance blossomed from failure but led to my success. Without the requirement to take an extracurricular activity, I would never have participated in volleyball. Not only would I have missed incredible and long lasting team friendships, but I would also have wasted a year of education. My extracurricular activity taught me to not only accept failure but also to use it as motivation to achieve greatness. I believe every person should be given the opportunity to unearth their defining qualities and tenets, and that the institution of required extracurricular activities is one of the best ways to do so.