Challenging Limits by Rylee

Challenging Limits by Rylee - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

Adjusting and adapting to new situations can be challenging for anyone. I attended a small private school from preschool until eighth grade. I was accustomed to having the same thirty kids in all my classes and having everything academically come very naturally to me. Beginning in ninth grade, I would be attending a public high school with more than 200 kids in just my graduating class. I only felt anxious about myself socially, but I was confident in my studies. I truly thought that high school would be a breeze.

As for my classes, I was overwhelmed. Back in middle school I never had to study for math. Little did I know that in Geometry Honors first period of freshman year I needed to study. An academic challenge that I have encountered is trying to focus on what you need to do and realizing that not everything is handed to you. If my classmates said they did not have to study I thought that meant I did not have to study. I was so focused on making friends and being social that I forgot to focus on what I was going to school for. Unfortunately, I did not make the realization that I was doing this until freshman year was over. I ended up getting a final ‘B’ in that class and took me out of the running for valedictorian. I felt defeated by this and instead of giving up I decided that I was going to change the way I viewed school and how I let others affect my decisions.

I overcame this by deciding to stop wallowing. I took control of the situation I was in that next school year. I got myself a planner and got everything organized. I studied days in advance and payed attention in class. Instead of memorizing things for the test I learned them to expand my knowledge. I have enforced these habits until my life for the rest of high school and I plan to continue implementing these into college. I overcame my negative mindset about school and studying by focusing on myself. Even though at the time, I was extremely disappointed that I was out of the running for valedictorian because I was obsessed with being like my sister. That situation has taught me valuable academic lessons that I would never trade.

From this situation, I made huge realizations about myself and the person I want to become. I no longer look at my sister’s accomplishments as something to compete against but to look up to. I continued to take the highest classes and study harder than I ever did before, after freshman year. I learned that getting that B wasn’t the end of the world, but one of the biggest academic lessons I’ve learned and truly has made me a better student. I no longer feel like I must follow everyone else’s path but confidently create my own. I believe that I am meant to inspire and support other people with health, fitness and spreading positivity. I have had the opportunity to help coworkers and friends lose weight, gain confidence and live healthy. I am very proud of myself for deciding to follow my passion and work to become a registered dietician and personal trainer while sharing my experiences on social media. I would never have been confident enough in myself or my abilities to choose this career path if I did not overcome this hurdle.