The Importance of College in My Life by Lizett

The Importance of College in My Life by Lizett - November 2023 Scholarship Essay

College isn't a requirement, but it is an opportunity that I want to take to achieve my goals and aspirations for my future career. I am a senior enrolled in W.W. Samuell High School and a full-time college student at Dallas College Eastfield Campus. I had the option to apply to the early college program, one that I took to further my education and to graduate with 2 diplomas, a high school diploma, and an associate of science, and I do not plan to stop there. My goal is to pursue both a bachelor's and master's degree at a four-year university. I knew it was an opportunity I had to take, one that would benefit my future. As I began to take college classes, being in an environment with people who are older than me, who have goals for themselves, and who have the same desire to be successful in life, and be the change for the future inspired me to set higher goals for myself. Most of the people in my family either never finished high school or graduated and entered employment immediately after. It is disappointing to see this same pattern time and time again, especially when some of us are fortunate enough to pursue further education while others are not, and I want to be the one to break the cycle. I have a dream, one that I will pursue nonstop.
From my earliest memory, I never wanted to be anything but a nurse. My grandma had a stroke and she wasn’t able to move half of her body. Whenever she needed something I was there, whenever she needed someone to talk to I was there, looking out for her was a way of me thanking her for everything she once did for me. On March 10, 2020, my grandma passed away, I was with her when she gave her last breath. I remember squeezing her hand and hoping that the doctors would miraculously save her. It was traumatizing seeing a person you love die, I told myself that it wasn’t real. I hated the feeling of not being able to do anything to help her. Before that day the thought of dying had never gone through my head, now it’s my number one fear. I think a lot about that moment when I already knew what was going to happen, everything felt in slow motion, my chest began to hurt, my hands were cold, and my eyes felt heavy. I began to have anxiety attacks and I isolated myself from everyone I was at the hospital most of the time due to not being able to control my anxiety attacks. The hospital was a safe place for me, it gave me a feeling of warmth, and it felt good to be around nurses who understand you, who listen to you, and who bring you peace. Before that day the thought of dying had never gone through my head, now it’s my number one fear.
I know that college will be incredibly difficult, physically and emotionally but I love a good challenge. I know there will be days where I question myself and doubt myself but I will remind myself how badly I wanted to prove to everyone that I did it but mostly importantly how I wanted to be that safe person for people who are going through rough times. I want to be the person that patients can trust and be there for the vulnerable who need someone to advocate for them. When it comes to individuals' health I think it is the number one thing that should be important because everyone's well-being is crucial because it lets them retain life and continue with their future. Going to college is having a desire to give people relief, peace in the time they need it most, and the future for the new generations. My parents raised me with their hard-working hands and now I can use mine to care for others and make them proud. I have a dream, my next adventure, how exciting. The experiences throughout my life have taught me that you must work hard to achieve your goals, and nothing is granted to you until you put in the effort. Because that is my profession at the time, I am ready to break the cycle of my family not having the ability to pursue their ambitions and finish their education because, as I always tell myself, “We can do it, fighting " I would continue to study, network, and make the best out of every situation. I know I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, and I have a reason to achieve the long- and short-term goals I have set for myself, such as continuing my education, which my parents did not have the opportunity to choose, and even though I struggle in situations, I will seek the help I need and do what needs to be done in my part to complete it.