Limitless Spontaneity by Madeline

Limitless Spontaneity by Madeline - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

The unpredictable moment in my life was finding out about the birth of my sister, Hazel. The reason that this moment was unforeseen by me and my family was because we found out Hazel would be born with Down syndrome. This is where three instead of two copies of the 21st chromosome are present in her DNA. Down syndrome causes her development, appearance, and behavior to be slightly different than that of my own. Nonetheless, I love her with all of my heart. She has shown me that the pathway to success is to appreciate small milestones of achievement and to respect the diversity of all individuals as I prepare for college and beyond.

I have always been intrigued by mathematics and it has always come naturally to me. Being able to solve problems given an equation or points on a graph has always been one of my strengths. This was my world in absolutes, where mathematical equations and formulas derived my motivation and outlook. I thrived at being able to build and create based on the fundamental ideas I had learned in school. Every question had an answer, and every answer had an explanation. Even in my musical practice on the piano and clarinet, every note had a set place in the structure of the piece. But it was Hazel who showed me a new perspective, and my previous outlook was what was restricting my success.

I’ve seen many people make judgements based solely on Hazel’s appearance, abilities, and behavior. I see a world without limits in her, where I can reach out beyond the structure that society has defined as success. I have learned that there is more to me than the straight A’s I have earned throughout my academic career. I now see the joy in spontaneity, and that there is more than one pathway to success.

After graduation, I am planning on attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which has a rigorous academic focus preparing students for future careers and occupations in the engineering field. When I attended the college tour of the university, I was in awe of the programs that they offered. Seeing the students actively working on automobiles and robots inspired me to want to attend this school. I saw myself working alongside these students, calculating and solving complex problems and applying them to the project in which they were building. This day also showed me that on one singular project, an engineer of every background was needed in order to complete the construction. A mechanical engineer, an aerospace engineer, and an electrical engineer could all be contributing different expertise to the same goal. I would not have been able to see and appreciate the variety of aspects that each student brought to the project without Hazel.

Even though life inevitably includes adversity, everyone has the ability to learn and grow from these experiences. When I learned that Hazel had Down syndrome, my mind focused first on the fact that she would be my sister. Later, I discovered she could face more challenges than I might as a result of her development. But she was the one who showed me that there was more to life than just my own accomplishments. Hazel showed me that the diverse contributions of individuals is what is the most important, and can lead to great success through teamwork.