You Win With People by Robert

You Win With People by Robert - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

Growing up in Southern Ohio, I have been fully exposed to what I have come to know as The Ohio State University, with that initial three letter word being of the utmost importance. As an avid fan of the University of Kentucky, I oftentimes grow sick and tired of hearing about the greatness of the Scarlet and Grey. However there is one statement that has been made famous by one particular Buckeye legend that I will not grow tired of. “You win with people” has become closely associated with Ohio State ever since their legendary coach Woody Hayes authored a book with that statement as its namesake. This statement has stuck with me on a personal level because it is very similar to what I feel has been the most important lesson that I have learned during my four years of high school; surround yourself with good people.

I am a firm believer in the effects of those around you, and that those close to you can have an enormous impact in the molding of you as an individual. The effects of peer pressure are seen on a daily basis in high schools throughout the country, and unfortunately this peer pressure oftentimes comes with a negative connotation. Of course, it is wise to be on the lookout for those who will negatively influence thoughts and actions, as poor decision makers are almost always looking for a partner in crime or two. However peer pressure can also be a positive influence on you as I have seen firsthand. Surrounding yourself with good people and allowing them to rub off can be a powerful entity as well and obviously much more positive than the aforementioned and more commonly noted “peer pressure”. When encircled by good people, their positive qualities have a tendency to be contagious just as the negative qualities of those warned against do. In my high school career, I have placed myself within a close-knit group of friends who truly care about one another and who want each other to succeed. I strive on a daily basis to positively influence them as they do to me. I feel the more that you can surround yourself with people who care about you and who want to see you win in the game of life, the better, and this may involve distancing yourself from someone who was once very close to you. Decisions like that the latter are the road less traveled, but as Robert Frost said they “make all the difference.”

High school is a four year journey that is full of choices and decisions that serve an important role in shaping you as a person for the rest of your life. It may seem and be difficult at times, but leading a positive and successful life in high school is a very plausible item. Woody Hayes was undeniably correct in saying that “you win with people” and to me, this concept has been the most valuable lesson that I have learned in high school; that you do indeed win with people, and that who you surround yourself with in every aspect of life can make all the difference.