Ingredients Matter by Lucas

Ingredients Matter by Lucas - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

One of the best lessons I have learned in life was taught to me in the culinary courses I have taken in high school. Much like cooking a good, average, or inferior meal, I have learned that the ingredients we put into ourselves determines the end result. The way in which we approach and value education, work on or dismiss our gifts/talents, our stance on morality and integrity, and the individuals we allow to influence us, all have an impact on who we become and how we are able to contribute and impact others and our community. I have been blessed to have had the best of the best pour into my life and for this reason, it has been an honor to contribute to the youth in my community who seek encouragement and desire to enhance their athletic ability on the baseball field.

As a student, I feel strongly that my first responsibility is to my education. For this reason, I have challenged myself academically and maintained solid grades in the classroom. In addition, my passion for sports has been evident since I was a young child. One of the core reasons I feel I developed well academically and athletically is because of the fantastic teachers and coaches I have had over the years. These individuals not only worked with us in the classroom and on the field, but strongly encouraged us to be great students, work hard at our craft, make good choices, and hold each other accountable. These ingredients have contributed to who I have become and are qualities that have formed me into a strong volunteer coach to youth at baseball camps over the past two years.

My greatest accomplishment at these camps is helping kids between the ages of 6-14 discover their self-confidence and worth. I have found that positive encouragement and accountability results in kids desiring to thrive and discovering that they are capable of much more than they ever imagined. Kids who often times come into the camps with terrible attitudes because they don’t really want to be there, end up wishing camps didn’t end because they are having fun and growing amongst their peers. My greatest joy comes from seeing returners run onto the field with huge smiles on their faces because they’re glad to be back.

I have realized that, like the coaches and teachers that have influenced my life, I am contributing and pouring ingredients into these young lives as well. Much like the ingredients required to make a good meal, I am hopeful that the encouragement I give, accountability I teach, and the skills I develop in these youth, will help form them into outstanding individuals.