Four Pillars of Life by Maeve

Four Pillars of Life by Maeve - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

My hands started shaking when I realized it was almost my turn to get up and walk onto stage. When signing my name into the book, next to many of my peers names, I tried to steady my hand. As I sat down in a black unfold-able chair, I felt on top of the world. All my hard work and dedication was paying off and being recognized. I looked around the room, and I was flooded with a sense of pride within myself and for my friends. A school accomplishment that I am most proud of, is being inducted into the National Honors Society.
Before I entered high school, I already had enough community service to graduate; three times. I have been involved with my church, and got to help out at a bunch of fun events, that don’t even seem like community service to me. I am proud to be a part of Gorham’s Key Club, and I am going on my forth year of being a member. Maintaining a 3.6 grade point average through the ups and downs of my classes was definitely tough. I always stay motivated and push through whatever tough times that may be holding me back. When I think of describing character, I automatically think of how someone is around other people. What I have learned however, is that what you are like by yourself, and how you act towards yourself is the biggest part of your character. It is important to have valuable relationships and social skills, but having them with yourself is just as important. My character has grown tremendously the past four years, and for the better.
Explaining how I show the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character, took a long time for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the examples, it was just different for me to brag about myself. When I finished all the paper work and sent it in I felt a huge weight being lifted off my chest. All the things that I have worked hardest for in my life were going to be displayed to someone. I felt confident in my efforts. When I got the letter of acceptance I was so thrilled. Someone besides my family and teachers was recognizing my hard work, and rewarding me for it. It was new, it was exciting and it was a change. It was the first letter of acceptance I have received, and that was a huge deal for me.
This accomplishment of belonging to a nation wide organization instilled pride in myself and motivated me to always do better. NHS is something more than honor roll, something that’s individual. Part of why I value being in the National Honors Society so much is because I know that I got myself here. I worked hard to become a better person. National Honors Society isn’t just a reflection of what kind of student or member of society you are. It’s a measure of how hard you have worked to get yourself there, and how hard you will work to achieve bigger goals and dreams in your own, individual future.