To give to myself by Rachel

To give to myself by Rachel - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

The aspects of education that I am thankful for are virtually endless. When I think about all the work and thought that has gone into my past 16 years of education, both in school and out of it, I am overwhelmed. When I was born I was incapable of doing basically anything. Thanks to years and years of hard work by my parents, teachers, and others, I am now able to take on the world after my school years are up. I am deeply grateful for everything that has gone into my education from day one, but what I am most thankful for is not what I was directly given, but what I received that enabled me to give to myself.
There were many ways I was given this ability. The most important way, I believe, was when I learned to read. No one person taught me how to; very rarely any child learns from one teacher. No, it was a cumulative effort of my parents, who read to me almost before I could talk; grandparents, who lived nearby and would regularly take me to the library and then read to me the books I had chosen; and finally, of course, my kindergarten teacher who finished the process by teaching me the ABCs. Reading was like unlocking a whole new world. Actually, it was a whole new world. Now, I could not only read my books to myself, but I could comprehend better what was going on around me, whether it was being able to understand labels in the grocery store, or the posters and banners hanging up in school, or even street signs. I could understand my world so much better.
Another way I was enabled to give to myself is through what I was taught about thinking for myself. Herd mentality is such a dangerous thing, as well as an obstruction to growth and development. Doing something just because all your peers are doing it rarely leads anywhere good. Instead, it just fosters anger and resentment, whether at others, for not giving you what all your peers have, or at yourself, for being unable to do what your peers can do. My parents taught me early on that I shouldn’t feel the need to copy everyone around me. I could wear the clothes I liked, whether or not others were. I could do the things I enjoyed doing them, whether I did them with peers or alone. This ability to think for myself has greatly enabled me to be more confident, less insecure and anxious, and ultimately, happier.
Directly related to the topic above, another crucial ability I was given was confidence in myself. I had ingrained in me from an early age that I, just like everyone else, was special, that there was no one like me in the entire world. I have used this knowledge in everything I do, whether academically or socially. This has prevented self- doubt and uncertainty. I knew I was special and nothing anyone said or did could take that away from me. It has made me brave enough to soon go off on my own.
I am so deeply grateful to all of the people who have given me the ability to become my own person and start my own life.