From Dinosaurs to Degrees by Marin

From Dinosaurs to Degrees by Marin - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

“Normally, I only give this to first graders,” whispers my kindergarten teacher, passing me a thin paperback book, “but since you go through books so fast, I’ll let you read it.” The cover displays a boy, a girl, and a dinosaur, and the title reads Dinosaurs Before Dark: The Magic Tree House. Staring at my new treasure and itching to look inside, I barely remember to say thank you.
Upon arriving home later that day, my feet scamper up the stairs to my room, where I sit on my bed and begin to read. An hour later, the small chapter book snaps shut, and I look up, shocked to find myself back on my bed--paralyzed after being thrown back into my own body. I had never been able to see a story in my head so vividly, and it felt like a dinosaur could look through my window at any moment.
Ever since that day, I have always been in the middle of at least one book, whether it takes me two months or an hour to finish it. A passion for reading had ensnared me.
Many tangible side effects accompanied this love of reading: improved grades, for certain, an expanded vocabulary which assisted me in the National Spelling Bee, and a boost to my SAT reading and writing scores. However, the most life-impacting, character-altering gift that my love of reading granted me was a passion for learning.
One of my favorite math teachers coined the term “mercenary learner”: someone who only learns for the sake of earning a high grade. My love of reading eliminated this toxic trait early on in my life: if I enjoyed a subject I learned at school, I would add a book about it to my queue, or I would hunt for another resource to gain even more knowledge about it (many librarians became my lifesavers). Often becoming ambitious, I would read books of a higher level, which appealed to me because it brought me joy to work for knowledge.
I often didn’t feel challenged at school. If my school didn’t offer a certain course, or if I believed the curriculum for a class wasn’t challenging enough, I would turn to academic books and online classes for more content. Pushing myself brought me joy: the more I learned, the more fun I had, and the more I cherished knowledge.
Throughout lower and middle school, however, my passion for learning ebbed and flowed. Since school was relatively easy, I would sometimes become distracted by something else: a movie series, video games, or friends. I never needed to pay much attention to school, and when I did, it was to the subjects I wanted to learn the most about. In freshman year of high school, however, I took my first challenging class: Honors Geometry. For the first time, I didn’t understand all the topics as soon as they were presented to me. My love of learning, however, was there to save me: I pored over my textbook, consulted YouTube videos, and studied with my friends in order to make sure I understood the topics. Over the next few years in high school, I continued to strengthen my studying skills. Math has become my favorite subject as a result: I love trying to figure out how to solve each problem.
At this stage in my life, my passion for learning calls me to a college education. Countless opportunities to satiate my love of learning await me: I’ll have scores of diverse courses, professors, books, clubs, experiences, and perspectives to help expand my way of thinking. A college campus is the perfect place to provide me with all the best resources to bolster my learning. So far, high school has granted me knowledge; college will grant me wisdom.
As I prepare for my first significant life transition, my passion for learning stirs inside of me. After all, sometimes all it takes to unlock your potential is for one person to spark an idea in you--or to simply give you a book.