What helped me through it all by Parris

What helped me through it all by Parris - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

I am an 18 year old student athlete. That has been living with his grandmother for the past three years because relations with my mother grew to be so toxic. Since living with my grandmother, I have achieved a level of stability that has allowed me to be engaged in my school, devote sufficient attention to my academics, and to work so that I may earn money to assist in my eventual transition into college.
Since the separation of my father and mother, after years of verbally and physically abusing each other, I sought stability through my relationship with players and coaches on my football team and developed an extended family that kept me rooted, focused, and committed to emancipating myself from the chaos of my life into a life of future opportunity. Witness the sincerity of my efforts as my grandmother who took me into her home, and provided a place of comfort and stability in which I have thrived. My grandmother is not the only woman in my life that has given me the chance and tools to enable me when pursuing my goals. My aunt helped me to read above a high school reading level my first year of middle school. I needed her help because the immense number of distractions growing up as a child caused me to fall behind in my academics. This is why every day after school I would walk two blocks to my aunt's home to sharpen my reading skills. I still hold the determination to better myself just as I did when I was younger. Being able to display the fruits of my labor and continue to work towards goals in the college setting would be a great gift in my narrative. However, my passion isn't just limited to the academic world. I have also found a sanctuary in music. I am a jazz aficionado. Blowing my Alto saxophone takes me to another level of consciousness where I can see my future beyond the chaos. The chaos of being sick with COVID-19 had nothing on the chaos of my household. When schools closed and activities were canceled, I continued to train, lift weights, run, and blow my saxophone. Without my grandmother, I am not sure where I would be or what I would be doing. I know that it would be unlikely that I would be thriving both on the field and on stage, scoring touchdowns and perfectly executing solos as a result of the opportunity to develop my skills and pursue my passions.
While I miss the relationship with my mother that hopefully will heal over time, I have been able to achieve a level of wisdom that has guided my decision making and character. I came to believe that who we are is reflected in what we do, no matter what we say. Having the gift of suffering through situations not of my making, has given me the tools and wisdom to avoid conflict and to recognize the potential for trouble. This is an important virtue in today's world. In essence, I believe myself to have developed a heightened emotional intelligence and emotional maturity to avoid conflict. My challenges have elevated my wisdom to that of a wise sage among my teammates—my brothers, my family.
All in all, I believe the resilience of my character, the maturity in which I navigate the uncertain currents of life, and the commitment I have to pursuing excellence in all that I do, is what has pushed me through many trials even though the odds were stacked against me. However it was god's wisdom and grace that put me through such experiences so that i can learn from them. In the words of Henry Ward Beecher, “We are always on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things.”