Don't Sit at the Light by Madison

Don't Sit at the Light by Madison - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

My undergraduate years were quiet. Most of those four years were uneventful, on the surface. Having graduated high school during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I began my undergraduate education in the comfort of my home. It wasn't what I expected, but it had advantages. I learned new software, I established my own work schedule, and I gained a level of self-motivation and self-discipline I never had before. However, I would not have known that most of those four years would be spent at home, studying online.

There was a saying someone I knew occasionally repeated while driving. Whenever someone sat at a stoplight for too long after it turned green, they would exclaim, "Don't sit at the light!" Yet, off the road, staying still and "sitting at the light" can seem safe. After all, if someone moves too soon while the light is red, they might hit another car. Moving too quickly endangers everyone involved. It is easier to sit back, let the radio play, and watch the cars go by. Yet, at some point, the light has to turn green. The car has to move forward, and resume it's trek toward the destination.

In some ways, I was like that car. I was moving forward in some ways: I earned my Bachelor's degree in 2024, and I will be starting my Masters degree in Fall 2025. However, there were many ways in which I didn't do much. Becoming an online student full time made it difficult to expand my social circle, interact with new ways of thinking, and experience new skills that I wouldn't have learned of my own volition. It made it harder to grow in some ways. I earned my degree, and I am extremely glad I have that. However, if anyone asked me to talk about aspects of college outside of the coursework, I wouldn't have any enjoyable stories to tell. I wasn't able to join extracurriculars on campus, and I missed out on events I would have attended had I been on campus.

Moving forward required innovation. I leaned on my faith, and I learned to appreciate the skills my undergraduate experience taught me. I found casual community through online platforms, where I could talk to more people in safe, non-personal ways. I made time to understand my regrets, and made a plan to move forward in this new chapter of my life.

Despite this, I still sometimes feel as if I sat at the light for a little too long. If I could give myself some advice, it would be this: When you know the light is green, don't sit at the light. Go, even if you are afraid or if it is inconvenient. Growth doesn't happen until you leave your comfort zone. You have to seek it out, you have to take cautious risks, and life might not look like what you thought. Nonetheless, at some point, you have to move forward.