An Ode To My Dad by Natalie

An Ode To My Dad by Natalie - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

My biggest failure during my education was acting like I didn’t care when I was frustrated. When I was in Elementary, I struggled with the basics of almost every subject. Due to my inability to grasp the basics, I couldn’t have any growth. There was no foundation.
I found myself thinking I could just ride the grade through till the end of the year. I was still trying my best and until that point I had been told my best should be enough. However, by the end of that year, I learned that I would have to explain to all my friends that I would be “held back”. If anyone at our age could fully comprehend what that meant, it seemed to be a very taboo concept.
Although everyone told me in the nicest words what it meant; all I heard was that I wasn’t smart enough. Unfortunately this ended up taking a toll. Although I wanted to try, and still had an urge to do my best, I decided school wasn’t worth my time. I gave up and acted like I didn’t care every time I felt frustrated. I had decided to do this because the last time, I had failed.
I’d soon find myself in after school tutoring, constantly being pulled out of class in front of my peers, and never having a gym class or extra curricular activity all the way through high school. In my eyes, everyone knew my story, and therefore, there was no way I could impress or make anyone proud anyways.
At least, I thought there wasn’t anyone I wanted to impress. My Dad was a factor I didn’t expect. Not only did he force me to stay up for those disastrous math problems we all remember, but he also wouldn’t let me come close to self deprecation.
Next thing I knew, he was going back to school himself. He wanted to become a teacher. And by seeing him study and work hard, I too started to think there wasn’t anything wrong with being a little behind. He was one of the smartest people I knew and that had nothing to do with him being the oldest in his lecture hall.
As much as I wanted to give up, for even after I finally moved on to the next grade I would struggle, I kept seeing him work just as hard. His ability to model what perseverance looks like is what led me through my own struggles.
And to my utter joy, he’s now writing curriculum, coaching players that still ask for him every year, and has taught for a decade at a school where he has made a difference. I, on the other hand, have graduated Magna Cum Laude and am going for a masters.
It’s safe to say there have been tacit tears shed between the two of us every time we reach any educational milestone. There is also a lot of pride and a reminder that the struggle is worth the perseverance.