My Path is My Own by Madison

My Path is My Own by Madison - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

The most valuable thing I learned while attending high school was that my path in life is my own. Once I stepped through those school doors, I knew things were different. I was no longer a small junior high student. I was given more freedom. I had freedom to choose, freedom to explore, and freedom to be myself. Being in high school helped me learn that I was different and that, that was a good thing.

Being able to choose my own course schedule every year let me chose my academic journey. After finishing my graduation requirements I was able to branch out into subjects I loved. These included college level courses that are needed for general education requirements in post-secondary schooling. Now in my senior year of high school I am currently dual enrolled at my local community college. This is not a common path for many high school students, but it’s the one for me. I will finish high school with my Associates in Arts degree, which was a goal for me from the beginning of high school. I also loved my art classes. I had always wanted to be placed in the art classes in my junior high, but electives were given out at random, so that never happened for me. Once I got to high school, these classes were more available. I started out in an introductory level photography course. I went through all of those courses and made my way into 2-D Design and even submitted an AP portfolio. I was able to submit work into my school district art shows and win several awards with my art work. Being able to design my schedule the way I wanted allowed me to branch out and succeed in remarkable ways.

High school allowed me to explore different areas and find out what was appealing to me. One school year I decided to take a European history course. I thought the subject would be really interesting, though it turned out to be, in my opinion, quite boring. So, in that case I explored and found an area that I really didn’t like, and that’s okay, too. Finding my path included trying new things. For example, trying on track for exactly one day until I realized that, too, was not the path for me. I loved that I got to try those things though. It helped me narrow my possibilities. High school has so many clubs and sports I can participate in; it is hard not to find something to be a part of. All the activities offered at school allowed me to make friends and find the things I was interested in.

Teenagers in junior high long to feel accepted and do things to earn their peers favor whether it is pleasurable for them or not. This was definitely the case for me. I wanted to wear the name brand clothing and act a certain way. Once I got to high school I realized that, that wasn’t me. I started doing things I loved, such as taking art classes and joining math club. It didn’t matter if these activities were not popular. Joining these clubs helped me realize there were others that did not fit into the popular mold. Taking part in those activities allowed me to find myself. I wear the clothing I like and choose to do things for myself rather than the approval of others. I even found myself exploring the practice of yoga and I am currently working toward becoming a certified instructor. High school taught me that there is no normal. There is no cookie cutter way of life. High school helped me figure out who I was as a person.

High school taught me that not everyone does the same thing and that is okay. That’s how life works. Not everyone does the same thing because we are all different. We all have different goals and intentions for our life. If we try to be like someone else we are cheating ourselves of what we can do. I am thankful for my experiences in high school and for the person I have become.