A step stone towards my dream by Nelly

A step stone towards my dream by Nelly - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

One of my greatest achievements is being recognized with a 3.8 Grade Point Average and receiving an Academic Sweater for it. The Academic Sweater I received is significant because it represents the effort I made. It is something I worked hard for and struggled to accomplish, but it was all worth it in the end. Every sleepless night studying was worth it. Every tear I cried when I was frustrated only made the final result better. Even when people thought I would not make it I decided to strive for better. I made the decision to not just graduate but do something greater with my life.

Freshman year of high school is one of the roughest years I have had in school, but I was determined, and I was not giving up. I talked to my teachers, gave up time with my friends to study and took notes in class, and by the end of the year I had caught up in every class. Starting high school made me realize how ignorant I was about the real world. I had to start focusing in school because for the first time I realized that this was important. If I wanted to be successful in college I would have to start by being passionate about what I wanted. The process of sorting out my priorities was the hard part. Once I knew what I wanted I was able to improve my grades and start building my path toward those goals. I can now see that anything is possible if you have the passion to fight for it. Building a good Grade Point Average became easier, and I no longer was afraid of accomplishing my dreams.

I had promised myself I would become someone my parents would be proud of and a role model to my brothers. It became a reality, and I learned and grew as a person in the process. I would never have had imagined where I stand now. I am currently top ten percent in my class, and I have varies academic recognitions. Getting to this point required dedication and sacrifices, but I would do it again without a doubt. I am now certain I am going to college, and I am confident about my future. It is no longer a dream I know I have the strength to overcome any struggles I may encounter because I have done it before.

To this day I am still amazed with how far I have come, and I am grateful for the help of my teachers that never gave up on me. Every time I look at my Academic Sweater it gives me the courage to continue working vigorously toward my dreams because that Academic Sweater was my first step stone towards my dream.