One Giant Hop by Margaret

One Giant Hop by Margaret - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

I rise to the sound of Sergeant Major’s dogmatic voice, “Get up! Get up! Time to go we’re already late!” Pulling back the covers to the ice-cold air I climb down the metal bars of my top bunk to the floor. Open my wall locker and looking at the dirt ridden boots hanging beside a fresh pair of army fatigues, I can feel that today will be a challenge. I dress and make my way down to formation. The company march down to breakfast and then load on to the buses. I could feel my heart pounding out of nervousness when I hear my First Sergeant say, “Cadets! We are heading to the victory tower to rappel!”
We get to the tower and it’s quickly my turn to take on the 40 ft. tower. I tried staying confident for the cadets that I lead but swift shivers shot up my spine. I’ve had training before heading up the stairs to the top but I don’t understand why, with every step, my heart beat faster. I get to the top and crawl to the edge. When I look over and see how high up I am I felt feeble and a little nauseous. I asked myself how I could possibly manage to rappel under these conditions. Miraculously I conjured up the rest of my strength and with the help of my instructor I was suddenly on the wall, an accomplishment but I wasn’t there yet. My instructor made sure I’m secure before saying, “Okay Cadet, now step off the safety ledge.” The thought of letting go, stepping off, and relying on my training, strength, and the supplies scared me to the point of freezing up. Why go out on my own like this? I was relying on me and man-made ropes to be the difference between living or dying. I took a deep breath, and with a giant hop, I was on my own, swinging in the air high above the ground and the comfort of a stable equilibrium. And 30 seconds later, I was on the ground being applauded for my first rappel being such a success.
This experience is the most memorable major accomplishment in my life because it showed me that soon there will be a time in my life that I’m going to have to make that giant “hop” off the safety ledge. The luxuries that I now have under the care of my parents and the free education that I enjoy one more year to utilize will no longer be there. Soon I’ll have to use my parents teachings, the supplies that possess, and the most important thing; myself. I will have to rely on my own will, strength, and intelligence. But with these things I also know that I will be okay, After repelling, I went to my Major and he told me, “Adams, always remember that the hardest thing is letting go and trusting yourself.” That lesson, and those words, will stay with me forever.