Discipline and Determination by Madelyn

Discipline and Determination by Madelyn - August 2023 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, I always pushed myself to do something difficult and to defy people’s expectations. No one forced me to do this or even really encouraged me to go after big goals, but I always had a deep-rooted desire to do something great with my life. I wanted to be the best I could possibly be, whether in academics, sports, a job, or helping my family. This mindset pushed me to work incredibly hard throughout high school to become my high school's valedictorian. Becoming a valedictorian was not an easy feat. I sacrificed a lot to be where I am today. However, I would not change anything I did because working towards this goal taught me so many valuable lessons that will help me all my life. I learned to push myself past my limits and become disciplined. Along with this, I had to become more confrontational and learn to stand up for myself and my decisions.

When I was a freshman, I decided that I was going to pursue becoming valedictorian. I had always loved school, and as a result, I got good grades. This seemed like a natural goal that I should pursue. However, I had no idea how hard it would be. I was always taking advanced classes, but I realized that to become valedictorian, I had to push myself harder than ever before. I took every advanced class I was offered and studied constantly. Many people called me crazy and told me to slow down and just have fun. I knew if I wanted to achieve my goal, I could not slow down or abandon my hard work. So I kept pushing myself. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. I studied for hours every night, pushing myself to learn as much as I could. I soon realized that I was burned out, and I could not keep studying for hours every day without a break. This led me to research how I could study efficiently and cope with burnout. I learned how to schedule my days to support my goals and became disciplined in every aspect of my life. I learned how to maintain a healthy balance between working hard, still having fun, and enjoying my youth. This lesson will be incredibly helpful throughout my life. Balance is something that everyone struggles with, and I am so glad that I learned its importance early on.

This lifestyle is intense and most people in my life didn’t understand why I pushed myself so hard. I learned early on that I had to stick up for myself because no one was going to do it for me. When people invited me to do something that didn’t align with the life I wanted to create for myself, I had to learn how to stand my ground and hold tight to my convictions. I learned how to advocate for myself and what I want. I don’t have to be like everyone else and when I stood firm on that belief, people learned to respect me more. I gained a great deal of confidence in myself when I learned how to stand my ground. I had a very clear goal and if people did not support or understand that, then they were free to leave. I appreciate that this experience taught me to stand up for myself and my decisions. I am going to live my life for myself and no one else because at the end of the day, I am the only consistent thing in my life.

Overall, working towards becoming valedictorian has taught me to have more confidence in myself. I can do anything I set my mind to if I work hard enough for it. I am much more confident moving forward to the next chapter of my life after achieving this goal. My study habits and discipline will help me earn my degree and will later help me in my future career. Learning to speak up for myself and have confidence in my decisions will help me in every aspect of my life. I am so grateful that I stuck to my goals and became valedictorian because the lessons I learned will help carry me through the rest of my life.