Atychiphobia by Megan

Atychiphobia by Megan - July 2024 Scholarship Essay

My eyes stung with unshed tears and my throat clogged as I exited the room; I knew I had failed before I even stepped out. Throughout the interview, my lack of preparation caught me by surprise, making me increasingly aware of how unlikely I was to pass through to the next level. My suspicions were confirmed two weeks later when I failed to see a congratulatory message in my inbox. Neither my ego nor my false confidence had been enough to pull me through.

The Governor’s Honors Program, aka GHP, is one of the most prestigious academic programs in the state of Georgia. I was ecstatic to be nominated as a sophomore and, after I didn’t make it through, confident that I would be nominated again as a junior.

I was.

However, I let my ego block my path to success. I didn’t prepare properly, instead relying on pure academic prowess and prior interview skills; neither were enough to impress the judges this time.

That interview marked the first true failure in my life. Before, my exemplary grades had automatically granted me honors and prestige—prestige that inflated my ego. My failure popped that ego like a needle. I realized that I couldn’t depend on academics to ensure success in every situation, and my perspective broadened to include the importance of effort and involvement beyond the classroom. Though my academics were impressive, they are but one factor in demonstrating intelligence and ability. True success requires more: conviction, preparation, hard work, and above all, humility. How can I strive for betterment if I can’t acknowledge my need for it?

I can’t attribute this enlightenment solely to myself, however, as a close friend helped guide me through the realization. She had been admitted into GHP, had succeeded where I failed. For months I marinated in my jealousy instead of moving on. As she excitedly detailed her days, however, and I saw her grow before my eyes, I realized that I couldn’t let one failure keep me from continuing forward. My life was far from over and I still had a plethora of opportunities ahead of me.

I still have a plethora of opportunities before me.

It was a realization that opened my eyes to my ignorance from before. I can’t be afraid to take opportunities before me or to make them for myself. I came to the conclusion that community outreach was extremely important to me, but I had overlooked it in the past because I never looked beyond activities that were presented to me. In the future, I plan to take advantage of every activity, every leadership position, every community outreach program I can without fear or embarrassment. I’ve already begun, taking the first steps to found a volunteer tutoring club at my high school. Next year, I also plan on running for a position on my school’s student council.

Before, I might have brushed off these ideas with the preconceived notion that I wouldn’t succeed anyway.

Now, I know that I won’t if I don’t try.