Your Happiness, My Motivation by Marissa

Your Happiness, My Motivation by Marissa - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, my family would constantly struggle with money. We didn't have much to call ours, but we were still grateful. Things have never been simply handed to us, but we didn't mind. This just gave us more motivation to work hard for what we wanted and needed in life. One of those many things just happened to be our education. This would help us grow as individuals and would lead us in the direction towards a better life. Something my dad always aspired for us kids, as he never had the opportunity to do it himself.
Education was the one thing that my dad wanted us to succeed in. But, it wasn't all A's on a report card that he wanted, nor was it the bragging rights. It was the fact that he didn't want such an opportunity to just go to waste. This one opportunity could change our lives for the best and that is all he has ever wanted for us kids. I realized that quickly at a very young age. And with this in mind, I made a vow to do my best regardless of how stressful it may be.
I was blessed at a very young age with the ability to adapt and grow accustomed to a variety of topics and subjects throughout my life. I used this to my advantage and have done well in school for many years because of this. This, however, has never helped me develop many social skills and rather just kept me secluded from others. Nevertheless, I have never been too concerned with this and found it much easier to progress in school. I'm not entirely hopeless either in the social life department. I can start up a conversation, I can make new friends, all that other fun stuff, I just simply choose not to.
Me being able to get an education is an amazing opportunity for me and my future. I can go to a good college after school, I can get job opportunities, develop better discipline, and so much more. I am grateful for all of things and would never take them for granted, but they are still not what I am most thankful for. It's my dad's happiness that I will forever be thankful for when referring to my education. All of the sleepless nights, the overwhelming amount of studying, the endless tears, and the many other obstacles that have come my way during this journey will never stop me from succeeding. Not when this is all my dad has ever wanted for me. Not when this is the least I could do for him. I will forever be thankful for this opportunity because it allowed me to make my dad happy and that is all I could ask for. He's been through so much and has done almost all of it alone and I can only imagine how hard it was for him. I just want to make him know I acknowledge all of his hardships, all of the unconditional love he has given, and all of the years he's spent raising me and my siblings on his own. I want him to know that he didn't do all of this for nothing. My education is the best thing I can utilize to show that. And it has done a good job of doing so well. My dad's happiness radiates all around me when my hard work pays off in the end. It's a beautiful thing to see and is something I will forever be thankful for on my journey to success.