No more shy little kid! by Sabrina

No more shy little kid! by Sabrina - November 2023 Scholarship Essay

College is something that I've dreamed of ever since I was in 5th grade. I would daydream about different scenarios about attending classes, meeting new friends, going to various social events, and learning topics in my dream career. Being a first-generation college student and having immigrant parents who came from Haiti made me realize the importance of going to college. Going to college is my ultimate dream but some may ask why I want to go. College would open many opportunities for job search, meeting new people, and self-discovery.

Since I'm a first-generation college student, my parents emphasize the importance of education. My parents are low-income as a result of not having an associate's or bachelor's degree. My parents immigrated to America so they could give me a better life and a better education. Going to college would help me pursue my dream major which would assist me in getting a job. I want to major in accounting and become an accountant after college. I love analyzing numbers, and an accountant job matches my work ethic as well. To become an accountant I would need a bachelor's degree in accounting. Having the degree would make me feel secure in finding a job in the future and I don't have to worry about not finding a job. Many universities have internship opportunities that they offer to students with my major as well. If I like being an accountant intern at a company the college offers, I would most likely keep the job!

I would love to meet new people and make new friends in college. All of my life, I've lived in Miami and never got to live outside of my city. I meet the same people in my city and go to the same school as the people I met in elementary school. I live in Miami-dade which has a huge Haitian population. I will admit that it is a good thing because I have a sense of community but I want to explore and get out of my comfort zone. I want to be more open-minded and meet people from different cultures and backgrounds and I feel like college would help me explore that. When looking at colleges, I always look for diversity. The University of Central Florida, my dream school, has a diverse and colorful student population. My high school has a population of 700 students which isn't a lot compared to UCF. Meeting new people would also help me start networking. I want to network with professors and professionals in my field of study so I have better chances of getting a job. I think that human connection is key to success in life so college would open many doors to meeting new people.

Everything about college is bigger than high school, this includes clubs, social events, and population. There are a lot of clubs in many colleges which would help me discover many special interests. In my high school, there aren't that many clubs or clubs that interest me so I missed out on a lot of opportunities to discover my interests. Attending university, especially attending my dream school, would help me in that. I also want to go to parties and social events on campus! I usually don’t like to party and I’m introverted but I want to get out of my comfort zone and change my perspective on partying. I’m confident that I would branch out of my shell and have fun in college while also thriving academically.

I’m honored to graduate high school in 2024 and attend university. I want my parents to be proud of me, that their daughter would be the first to go to college. I want to explore a new world of opportunities and meet new people to form connections and friendships. I want to do an internship as an accountant to see what the job is about and if I like it. I want to be more out there and have more school spirit than in high school. I don’t want to be the shy little kid anymore, I want to explore!