Soft Skills by Luke

Soft Skills by Luke - February 2023 Scholarship Essay

Soft skills are important for educational success. You wonder what a soft skill would be? Soft skills are non technical skills that explain how a person works and interacts with others. Communication, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking and time management skills all fall under the soft skill category. These skills are vital to educational success.

Education success can be measured in many different ways. It could be measured solely based on a student's GPA or the leadership roles they participate during their schooling or the job they land after graduation. It is not easy to measure success when so many people have different experiences and so many factors contribute to success. I feel many of the soft skills combine to make a person successful but if I had to pick one major skill I would say communication skills are extremely important. Without communication skills, a person will not be successful in a leadership role, won’t be able to work with a team, or be able to problem solve or critically think through issues with others. Communication skills help a person to strength their self esteem, develop creativity, nurture independent thinking, increase problem solving skills and build strong relationships with others. If a person can not communicate with others, education success will be a challenge. It truly takes a team in life and in school to be the best version of yourself.

Communication skills have helped me be successful in school and in life. I have learned how to work with others, be an advocate for myself and talk through issues I might have with problems at school or with people. When I was younger, I was a child that didn’t talk much but over the years my parents and teachers have modeled how communication is vital to my success. When I don’t understand something, I have learned the importance of asking clarifying questions or talking through an issue with a project with a classmate. Communication has helped me to continue to grow as a learner. This soft skill has helped me be more successful at school and in life.