The Path of Improvement by Luke Andrew

The Path of Improvement by Luke Andrew - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

2021 was just as difficult if not more difficult than 2020 with the introduction of new variants of the disease that put our world to a stop as well as struggles with family members passing on and keeping on top of work and school. 2021 was a great year for me as far as character development goes. I managed to go through losing a family member as well as getting my first job all while going through my junior year of high school and part of my senior year with a pandemic hanging over my head.
My Grandpa got COVID about a month after Christmas and it took a toll on him and my family due to his already problematic health. My family and I lived in Oregon while my Grandparents and other family all lived next to each other in Washington. The distance made it hard to be there for my family in the time of need. By the time my Grandpa died in February I hadn't seen him since Christmas. I was downhearted about the situation. I was very close with my Grandpa and he taught me a lot of important life lessons. I took heart to all he taught me over the years and pushed through the difficult time. I worked vigorously at my school work to prove to myself that I could be successful even if the world around me was falling apart. I managed to get straight A’s in all of my classes my junior year.
I got my first Job a few weeks before summer started. It was a floor staff job at the movie theaters. My character developed the most with this job. I learned to work together as a team and to deal with difficult situations such as an angry customer or a busy day with lots of work and commotion. Before I got my job I didn't have a lot of friends and I would spend most days at home watching movies or playing video games. I gained an insight into my community. A real connection was developed between the customers and I. I felt like I finally belonged in this town like I had a purpose. When returning back to school I would have people walk up to me and talk to me about working at the movie theater. The job allowed me to become welcome into the community.
COVID was a great relief for me. Of course the struggle of a deadly disease hanging over my head was frightening. The positives of COVID for me was the ability to focus on myself and improve my well being. One of the main benefits of being stuck at home for me was the ability to spend more time on homework and really focus on it. This ability to focus on homework is the main essence that allowed me to get straight A’s and without this time I wouldn't have been able to do it. With the lack of interactions I delved deeper into film and I began to watch movies not only for entertainment but also to admire the art. I lived a cleaner life due to the extra time I had to clean my room or the house. I began to workout for the enjoyment of improving myself and having a healthier lifestyle. I got outdoors more with all the time I had to sit outside and fish and just enjoy the world around me. COVID improved my health immensely and I loved life more because of this.
The difficulties that I faced turned me into an all around better person. With the improvement in myself I was able to really focus on my missions in life which was going to college and studying in Film so that I can further my interest in the art of cinema along with traveling the world talking to the people of the world to learn more about their cultures. 2021 gave me a clear path for my future.