A New Path by Riley

A New Path by Riley - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

When I was little, I always liked animals. I was the kid that would always say, "I'm going to be a vet when I grow up!" Naturally, things change, and so did my career goals. I had been stuck in a state of confusion about what I would do after high school, but then I had an experience that changed my life. I had the opportunity to go to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands with a group of students and teachers from my high school. It was by far the most amazing trip I've been on, and looking back, what we saw and did in ten days seems nearly impossible to me. From watching giant tortoises float in ponds and penguins swimming in the ocean, to feeding hummingbirds by hand and swimming with white-tipped reef sharks, I saw and did it all.
I knew at the very moment I stepped off the tiny plane and onto the tarmac on San Cristobal island that something special was going to happen. And that it did. I saw more than what I could've ever imagined, and it was truly the most eye opening experience. We went around to many different animal rescues and sanctuaries, as well as beaches and islands. At each new spot we went to, there was a whole new ecosystem to be discovered, and I couldn't get enough of it. Our tour guides were very informative, and I held on to every word they said when we were learning about local wildlife. This ignited in me a whole new level of appreciation and love for the animals in our world, and I'd dare to say that I walked away from that trip as a different person.
Upon returning to Minnesota, I couldn't stop scrolling through my camera roll looking at pictures and rewatching videos from the trip over and over. The Galapagos islands had exposed me to the extensive life in our world, and I couldn't wait to explore more. Since I don't have the resources to go on trip after trip or go to nature reserves hours away, I decided to approach my new-found interest through education. I started looking for animal-related classes through my school, and I learned a lot in these classes. I learned anatomy and so much more in my animal kingdom class, a class revolved around dissections, as well as how ecosystems work in my biology class. I always asked the most questions in both classes and every new thing I learned was absorbed into my brain like a sponge. I had finally found what I wanted to do in life.
I want to help animals and learn about the world around them to make a safer environment for them to live in. Specifically, I want to be a wildlife biologist. I love travel and I want to see all the different environments unique animals live in while contributing and learning in the local environment. I used to be so anxious about what my future-self would be doing, especially if I'd be financially comfortable, but what I've learned is that it's so much more important to be passionate and love your job than it is to only be in it for the money. I want to go to college and get my degree so I can start putting my education into use while helping what I love most, animals. At the mere thought of my future, I get giddy with the excitement of what I'll do and experience in and after college. I want to learn as much as possible to be as helpful as possible, so I've dedicated substantial time to figuring out what path would be best for me. While there's still more details I need to flesh out, I know one thing: learning about animals so I can help them has given me a higher purpose and a passion I never could've dreamed of. Now I can't wait to start the next chapter in my life with my new goal in mind pushing me towards happiness and success.