A Second Chance by Manuel
Manuel's entry into Varsity Tutor's May 2021 scholarship contest
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A Second Chance by Manuel - May 2021 Scholarship Essay
People make mistakes, and that's normal. What's not normal is for someone to make the same mistake for nearly three years. Yeah, that's me. Like everyone, I began high school nervous and with many expectations. I wanted to get good grades and make lifelong friends. I succeeded with the friend part, not so much with the grades. I am Hispanic, and my parents are immigrants. I grew up with very little and with many expectations put on my shoulders. As the only male, I was given the responsibility to succeed so I can make my parents proud and take care of them after they spent their whole lives withering away so my siblings and I can have a better life than the ones they lived.
At first, I did what was expected of me. I got good grades, and I cared about school. I worried about my grades constantly, and I always tried to do more. Although, for some, that might be hard, for me getting good grades wasn't the hard part. It was just the heavy burden that I carried, and like a fool, I slowly gave up. I couldn't give you a reason even now. I just gave up. I stopped caring, and I did the minimum. However, I was completely capable of doing the work and comprehended everything. I would even earn some of the highest marks on our midterm exams and finals.
My self-destructive behavior continued for about three years until my junior year. It was the year I met my now amazing girlfriend. It came out of the blue. I wasn't looking, and neither was she, but we happened to meet for the first time after being in the same building for three years. She was like me. She also came from an immigrant family and happened to be a minority. I was amazed and starstruck. She was beautiful and funny. She was smart and had fantastic grades. She struggled but still went on even when she didn't understand some concepts. She reminded me that it wasn't just for her that she was trying so hard, but it was for her mom and dad, who made so many sacrifices so she could have a better life. I'll admit I am a very prideful person, but I admired her. I felt like I woke up from a dream. I wanted to make my family proud, myself proud, and I wanted to make her proud.
That's why during my senior year, I did try my best. I took higher-level classes. I worked hard for my grades. I stressed over them. Just like I should have been for the last few years. Sometimes I felt like it was meaningless. I felt stupid for realizing my mistakes too late. At the time, I could comfortably say I loved my girlfriend. She had been applying tireless for college and worked hard to keep up her grades. I know I'm going to sound stupid, but I didn't want to be left behind by her. I was scared I wouldn't make her proud and my family because of my horrible performance in high school.
Maybe it was karma, but that was the time when Covid-19 made its way to America. We all know the story, but we were not prepared at all. My school ended up ending the year early and not accepting my final grades for that semester. I passed, but all my hard work went up in dust. I was devastated and lost. Thank goodness, I had a fantastic support group who helped me through it. After graduating came the waiting for the college's responses. Sadly, I didn't get accepted to any college. My girlfriend, on the other hand, was admitted to some. I was happy but sad. I didn't give up, though. I decided to apply to community college and do things the right way this time. Luckily, God was watching over me, and my girlfriend decided to attend as well.
Right now, I am doing great. I love my college and have learned so much. I have excellent grades and enjoy my classes. I no longer feel like a failure for messing up so much in the past. The community college has given me a second chance, and I will not waste it. It was rough, but I am grateful for the challenge I created from my mistakes. I don't think I would be the same person I am now if it wasn't for my errors. I will continue to do my best and strive to make myself and my family proud. I will also never stop thanking the stranger who came into my life and helped me become who I am today.