Adventurous Spirit by Ruth

Adventurous Spirit by Ruth - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

If you had asked me six years ago which subject I hated the most I would've responded, without hesitation, science. Even now I struggle to fully immerse myself in studying the subject when I am required. Throughout the first year and a half of middle school, I loathed the 45 minutes it took me sitting in class and having to listen to the teacher explain theories of evolution or the birth of the universe. In my mind, it was both unnecessary and uninteresting going into detail on concepts that were all hypothetical. "Why must we ask ourselves questions that scientists themselves don't have the answer to?"
Around halfway through 7th grade, my science teacher required each student in her class to come up with a project for the science fair the school hosted every year. To say I was irritated would be an understatement. However, my exasperation soon lessened when I heard, "The topic can be about anything you want. There are no limits." At the sound of this, I straightened up in my seat and with my head held high I thought, "Well, if I have no other choice, I might as well make sure it is better than everybody else's." I wasted no time in diving into my research, wanting to make sure that the results of my experiment impressed all those who saw it.
In my quest for finding an adequate science fair project, I came across an article of how the pH in a person's saliva can affect their health. During that time, I had no idea what that meant or why it was important, so I decided to dig deeper. From there, it was like a new world I had no idea existed was suddenly as my feet. The entirety of my spare time was dedicated to learning about acids and alkalines, this then led to me learning about metabolic acidosis and other effects of pH in health, and in turn led me to learn about how hydrogen relates to atoms and ions which is the base of the pH scale. The more I read, the more I focused on wanting to absorb more and more knowledge instead of my original goal of impressing my peers.
When the deadline for the project came around, I became disappointed. Not because I thought my work wasn't good enough, but because I felt I no longer had an excuse to continue learning. It was then I realized that there was a whole spectrum of subcategories related to science. I genuinely enjoyed studying this specific branch of science that I now know were the basics of high school chemistry. Long after I turned my assignment in, the fascination and impact of the data I found online stuck with me.
Going into highschool with this newfound discovery of passion and yearning for knowledge, I made a promise to myself. That promise was, "I am going to have an open mind on new and foreign ideas because I might learn something that I love." Currently, as a senior about to walk the stage into the next chapter of my life, I want to continue holding onto that need to explore what I've yet to discover. It doesn't matter if I'm in university or working in my desired career, an adventurous spirit will always go farther than a stubborn one.