Advice for Future Generations by Mackenzie

Advice for Future Generations by Mackenzie - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Going through life, we often find ourselves wishing that nothing will ever change. I remember many specific times where I thought “my life is good just the way it is.” Looking back, I am so glad it did not stay the way it was then. I have learned priceless life lessons during my time in high school that I would not trade for the world. People have come into my life that I can not imagine living without. The advice I would give to younger students, regardless of if they think their lives are perfect or terrible where they are now, is to be open to change. Nothing can get worse without change, but nothing can get better either. Sometimes it isn’t even clear how a situation may improve or work out for the best until it does.
Working hard and persisting through whatever your life throws at you will always pay off in the end. Academics are a vital part of bettering yourself and the world around you. Educating yourself will open you up to hundreds of opportunities, that someone who did not put in as much effort as you may not be able to access. School is never stupid. Thousands of children who do not have the capability to get an education would die for what we have here. Always apply yourself and give everything you’ve got when it comes to your education.
Make friends, even if they do not appear as popular or cool as some of the kids around you. First impressions are often wrong. It is always a good thing to be kind and to listen to the experiences of all types of people. Quoting Bill Nye, “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”
Overall, just do what makes you happy. If it is not the same thing as everyone else, that’s okay. In the end, it will be just you that is happier. We only have one shot at this life so we have to make it a good one.