Graduation by nikia

Graduation by nikia - August 2023 Scholarship Essay

My biggest achievement by far has been the act of persevering. I began my matriculation at Howard in August of 2019 living a life that was very different from where I am now. After going through a majority of my freshman year, everything turned on its head from the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March of 2020. Not only was it frightening, but it put a halt to so many of the wonderful things I was looking forward to. I ended up having to go back home for about six months, working two to three jobs at a time.

Afterwards, I moved back to DC to continue to pursue my degree virtually while working full time and going through the issues of my personal life. Despite this, I was able to pull through the school year with a 3.57 GPA. The next year presented many challenges as well. My father began to get sick and this put an egregious amount of stress on the family. Despite this, I worked two jobs and pulled through with a 3.58 GPA to end the year. In March of 2022, my father went into a coma, that he was under for over 90 days. Eventually, after waking up and coming to, we were able to talk and get excited for my graduation. Unfortunately, on July 15 of 2022, my father passed due to complications from his surgeries and congestive heart failure. The mental strain I experienced was one that I did not expect to go through at such a young age, but I am proud of myself for continuing to persevere.

Although it was not how I thought it would happen, I graduated this past summer, in July 2023. I have begun therapy, I worked three jobs to maintain myself and assist through the financial hardship my family is experiencing, I finished with a 3.34 GPA, I maintained my internship with the Bureau of Reclamation since June 2022, and I am working to become the person I want to be. My father was unable to attend my high school graduation for several reasons, so it breaks my heart that he will not be here to see me cross the stage. However, it brings me peace to know he would be so proud of me and passed knowing I would be okay.

In the future, I hope to become a lawyer. I have studied for the LSAT (I had to cancel my test because it was around the time of my father's going under), while also researching different law schools. Graduating college was step one in that process and now I can move forward with gaining experiences and exploring the different options that I have. I am excited and also nervous for what this next chapter looks like, but I know that what is meant for me will be for me and I have a piece of my father with me the whole way.