Valuing a Diamond by Meredith

Valuing a Diamond by Meredith - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

A senior yearbook quote strives, not only to illustrate the past four years of high school, but also to portray the hope of a bright future. Finding a quote that seamlessly balances the two can be challenging, and requires soul searching. It entails analyzing what has been instrumental to you in your youth as well as looking forward and projecting what you will value in your future. After almost an hour of searching through Pinterest, Google images, and various websites I found the ideal quote that represents my personality, aspirations, as well as combining my high school years with my plans for the future.
The John Green quote, “Life tried to crush her, but only succeeded in creating a diamond.” left a lasting impression on me. As I discovered this quote I found it in a way mesmerizing. I feel it embodies my determination, fortitude, and persistence to succeed. Being a goal oriented person, I pride myself in my ability to overcome arduous situations and still let myself sparkle as a diamond even through the mists of adversity. The quote I chose speaks clearly to this while adding some flair with its mentioning of diamonds.
Diamonds are viewed as the world’s most valued and iconic pieces of jewelry. Extreme heat and pressure are combined with graphite to create the beautiful piece that is so desired by many. By comparing life to the components that create diamonds and a person to a diamond, it paints a beautiful picture that inspires me.
This quote for me has a connection to my past as well as my future. The quote talks about overcoming challenges which has been a big part of my past, as it is for every high school student. It is also safe to assume that there will be future struggles that I will be forced to persevere through. This quote will be something that guides me through anything from having an obstacle in my career to challenges in my personal life. There is power in remembering that there is great beauty in struggling, because if success was easy, everyone would do it.