Thicker Skin by Nevan

Thicker Skin by Nevan - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

Failure can be a tough topic for many people, due to the fact that it is a shortcoming. It’s important to remember that the reason why we fail is so we can get back up and strive on. This is more easy said than done, being optimistic and happy after a failure is like getting cut and expecting it not to bleed. But that’s why we have band aids, something that helps you recover, it’s a resource. Resources were my main means of making my situation the best it could be.

In my Junior year of high school, I decided to take on the responsibility of a part-time job. I had never experienced so much stress in my life. I went to school for 7 hours a day then went straight to work immediately afterward. As a result of my inexperience in creating a balance, the focus on school began to fade and wonder. The earliest I went to sleep was 12 am, keeping in mind that my school starts at 7:25 am. Homework seemed like such a chore after serving customers for hours on end. The failure came in at the end of first semester. Since before I can remember math has always been a strong suit of mine. I had passed all previous classes with decent grades. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case when it came to AP Calculus, I was constantly confused and it seemed like I would never understand the material. I ended up earning a C, which was devastating since I had never earned anything below a B in my life.

My initial reaction was to curl up and have a pity party. But as I consulted with school counselors, the teacher, and my mother, I realized it wasn’t the end of the world. If not for these resources, I might have just given up. This period in my life was a moment where I matured mentally and learned to react to situations like this with a level head. By second semester, I had vowed to try my very hardest and to never give up. I adjusted my availability with my job and stayed after school with my Calculus teacher as much as possible. I also studied with a group of close friends in order to really get a grasp on the content. When the end of the year finally came, I earned a B in the class. This is something I am extremely proud of and has given me inspiration to this day.

Through this, I hope to be a role model to those going through the same things I did. Being a star student is great, but having the experience of failure is even better. I now have thicker skin and I am more prepared for what life has to throw at me in the future.