What personal experiences led you to select your chosen major? by Sam

What personal experiences led you to select your chosen major? by Sam - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Much of my life involved dealing with complications from my 19 cleft lip and palate surgeries, resulting in many medical appointments and time spent in surgery recovery. I missed a lot of school, which affected my academic success and ability to participate fully. I already felt different due to my race and cleft, and being gone from school and falling behind left me feeling like I didn’t fit in.

I had a medical need break in middle school, and began to explore my capabilities. I worked on my academics with my teachers, and joined many sports from the ski team to baseball to dance. Eventually, I felt confident enough to audition for a competitive dance team, and succeeded! I loved it and did well. Feeling successful with my dance team helped me gain confidence in myself, which had spillover effects in the classroom. I began to catch up with my grades, and my belief in myself grew.

My favorite classes in high school were in Business and Finance, and my favorite activities included dance, weightlifting, golf, and snowboarding. I will need more surgeries, but I have found that having physical outlets allow me to let things go, being part of a team helps me feel supported, and investing and managing money is so interesting to me. I also worked as a Teller at Lake Elmo Bank the last two summers, and as a LifeCafe Team Member at Life Time Fitness year around. This helped me further appreciate the value of money and financial literacy. Dreams can become a reality partly from hard work, but it takes dedication and a passion to keep things interesting for the long-term. Therefore, I plan to double-major in Economics and Dance to continue to support my mental and physical health, and creativity.

I have done the self-work to be fully ready to face new challenges with positivity, resilience, and passion to support my majors in finance and dance. I would love to be a CFO, perform and teach dance in all genres, and practice wise investing to ensure my long-term financial success.