What would your senior yearbook quote be? by Patrick

What would your senior yearbook quote be? by Patrick - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

If I were to go back in time to my senior year of high school knowing everything I know now, my senior quote would be “No matter the circumstances, work, work hard, and keep working towards your goals”. It’s a simple quote, but it speaks to the need to persevere no matter what the circumstances in order to accomplish or get something you want. I’ve put off college for more than 10 years. I’ve always been a hard worker, but pursuing a college education has been different for some reason. I made and accepted what were generally very weak excuses and continued to put it off semester after semester. Ironically, my desire to go to college was the biggest factor in my decision to join the Navy. The military was a means to be able to afford college through things like the GI Bill and tuition assistance. The GI Bill awaits me when I retire but tuition assistance has been available for the entire 13 years I have served. Sadly, I always made excuses that the process was complicated, but one finally overcame and mastered last this past Fall. I’ve taken my new found knowledge and applied it in small classes to teach my peers how to do the same. I always remind whoever will listen, “The military takes a lot from you, you should take back everything you can.”

While the Navy has provided me with the means to afford college, in terms of actual attendance, most of the credit goes to my wonderful girlfriend. Having someone like her in my life, someone who holds me accountable, calls out my stubbornness and doesn’t accept excuses, made all the difference. She’s always known when to support me and when to push me and college was the best example of that. Once I overcame my fears and challenges, I worked hard through my first semester and ended up securing a 4.0. I set high expectations for myself from the start and surpassed them through hard work and perseverance. I am working towards an Associate’s degree in the immediate future because of opportunities it will offer me in the short term through the Navy, but my girlfriend has stated “Master’s degrees are going to be a minimum expectation in our home.” Again, setting goals, and then working hard towards them. I know it won’t be easy, but I know it’ll be worth it and I am going to work hard to accomplish my future goals.