Overcoming Adversity by Rachel

Overcoming Adversity by Rachel - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

Everyone has always regarded me as a busy body. I’m not sure whether I am actually as active as people perceive me or if I was forced into that archetype. Either way, I know that what I crave at my core is independence. I want to be free to be as busy or active as I want, and I now know what it takes to get there. That is thanks to my parents.
I grew up in a household of mistrustful, overprotective parents. One is a man who grew up in segregation-era Georgia a long time ago, and another is a woman who emigrated here from the Philippines. Both of them are wary of the changed landscapes and have projected that weariness onto me. As I grew into my adolescence, their mindset didn’t amalgamate well with my desire to branch out and socialize in my peer groups. I had to say no to my friends a lot. I couldn’t attend sleepovers. I couldn’t go out most weekends. I couldn’t have social media. This created an itch in me. I thought that it would improve as I got older, but no such thing happened.
By the eighth grade, defeat started setting in. I was at constant odds with my family, and relating to my peers was getting harder and harder. I had few outlets. I realized at this point that I could find an outlet by getting involved in extracurriculars. My parents have always been worried about my college resume, so they allowed me to participate. Once I had this revelation, I loaded every extracurricular that came my way onto my plate. My slogan became “I don’t say no.” Any time a teacher or community member approached me about an opportunity, I said “yes” with enthusiasm.
My obliging to every opportunity that presented itself rendered me able to navigate a wide field of interests. I’ve been blessed to now have a deep understanding of what I’m naturally talented at, what I like and dislike, things I can do for many hours at a time, and things that will never be for me. I’ve started my own youth council in my home city. I’ve collaborated with huge equity organizations and found passions in organizing and social justice. I’ve found a passion for music and graphic design. I’ve worked a blue-collar job. I’ve made connections with people that I will adore until the end of my days. I’ve located lusts for life in so many aspects of life through this forced experimentation, and for that, I’m thankful. In some ways, this has matured me more than being purely a socialite could have ever done.
The thing I’m most thankful for throughout this process is that I’ve learned to not have expectations. I never expected my parents to give me what I wanted. I never expected to have things I desire without working for them. This has made my exterior tougher for when the outside world throws curveballs at me. I can now see the beauty in a variety of outcomes, and I’m ready to go wherever my path takes me with an open heart.