Passing Down by Patrick

Passing Down by Patrick - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

To be successful in a scholarly environment is to be made knowledgeable in many skills of many fields. It is to be an educated, experienced, and well taught individual who can think for himself and present his ideas with confidence and with pride as a contributive member of society. The purpose of a school is to teach, to discipline, and to guide; therefore, having an understanding of what challenges life will present and how to face them demonstrates a logical and reasonable success.
However, when it comes to being successful in life, this delves into the existentialist and absurdist perspective of life. To elaborate, the existentialist and the absurdist believe in the idea that humans have no real known purpose, other than to be born, to live, and to die. As both a firm practicing Catholic and one who sees truth in the absurdist point of view, my definition of succeeding in life is to know, love, and serve God and to pass down my knowledge for the future generations to use. Because my time on Earth is limited, it is necessary for me to not revel in my own pride, but to relish the pride of humanity's accomplishments and ability to innovate.