My Step To Success by Paulina

My Step To Success by Paulina - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

Have you ever heard the expression “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again?” The expression has been used throughout generations to encourage people to not give up after their first failure. Failure should not be contribution as to why you wouldn’t try again. People view failure as a step back or a halt in progress. However, failure is just another step forward towards your goal. Without failure, people wouldn’t become wiser than what they were before. Failure has a positive side because if you mess up the first time, and you keep trying, it can make your mind grow more and experience new things that will shape you. Many great historical figures who failed at their first try, continued to grow and become who we now know for their ultimate success.
Many brilliant people who created the things we use now were not successful their first attempt. For example, Thomas Edison was the great scientist who invented the lightbulb he was obviously not successful in creating the lightbulb the first try. It took many tries, many mistakes, and many failures to finally achieve the lightbulb. If Thomas Edison would have given up on the lightbulb on his first try, what would've happened? His failures were not failures if he eventually made his idea an actual creation. They were more like steps towards his success and that’s how we should think about failure too.

We have all at one time or another experienced failure throughout our lives. I too have experienced failure. The most memorable one was back in 6th grade when the STAAR test was going to replace the TAKS test. I was so positive that I had done well on that test, days passed by and my teacher had finally received the results. I was so nervous I couldn’t think straight. My friend had asked me, “Do you think you did well?” I replied, “I’m feeling confident that I did really tried my best.”I was so anxious and nervous to know how I had done. I heard my friend get called and I remember her saying, “Wish me luck” and me smiling and wishing her good luck. I knew I was next and I got so nervous I started praying Everything after that seemed like a slow motion kind of like the ones you often see in a movie to emphasize the dramatic moment. The teacher called my name and I stood up and I’m so nervous all I was kept thinking was that I was going to receive great news. My throat felt dry, she told me to sit down and I got really nervous she told me to calm down. I study her facial expression, a straight face, and the words she said to me made sense as to why she had that face. “You didn’t pass,” she said quietly to make sure only I was the only one to hear the terrible news. I thought my life was over, my smile went away, I stood up and went back to my desk and laid my head down not wanting to talk to or listen to anyone. I felt a tear coming out of my eye and quickly swiped it away so no one noticed. My friend tapped me on my shoulder and asked, “are you okay”. I put a fake smile on my face and replied “yes I’m okay, thanks for asking”. I noticed that she was still curious and I knew she was going to ask at any time soon whether I passed or not. About five minutes later she finally asked me, “I was just really curious and was wondering,I replied before she could finish her sentence, “you were wondering if I passed?” I faked a smile and softly said, “yes I passed”, knowing it was a lie but also not wanting to fully accept my failure.
The bell rang and everyone walked out, my teacher asked if I could stay after class, so I quietly walked towards her. Tears began to build up and she asked me sit down. She explains to me how I just missed it by one question and how if I kept on studying and got more help during the summer that I would for sure pass the second time. She assured me that a STAAR test doesn’t tell you how intelligent you are and that I shouldn’t think less of myself. I didn’t feel nervous or anxious, but more like it was just another normal day.I didn't let doubt take over me and decided to read the problems again and check my answers.Months pass by and I finally get the results thru mail. A very warm bubbly feeling built up inside me after I realized I had passed the exam. I was so excited and proud of myself I screamed.
Although I hadn’t passed the first time and I felt as I was never going to succeed after receiving the news, the failure of that time was only a pathway that taught me how to work harder and never give up on myself. Everything had worked out in the end for me, all I had to realize was that one failure shouldn’t determine my next outcome. If I believed I can then I will, so I did.