"Advice that motivates me." by Samekh

"Advice that motivates me." by Samekh - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my educational experience in high school there have been many and various different types of obstacles that I have faced. There were situations that I had to struggle to overcome. Many times, I admit, that I thought I should give up and cut my losses. That I wouldn't make it through, that I was meant to fail and not pass. But instead of giving up, I persevered and made it through. Because others believed in me and with their confidence in me, their help and their advice, I can safely say that I am where I am today.

Transitioning from a middle school setting to a high school setting was not that difficult for me to do. I was ready to meet new people and have new experiences and challenges. However, what was difficult for me, was actually the work. The work was not demanding at first as I settled into my new role of being a high school student. But as time worn on I was becoming swamped with papers, projects, essays, homework, classwork, tests and so on. I always stressed over work and every period after the first. I failed a few tests and barely passed some quizzes. The worst part I remember was the fact that I started believing that I wouldn't make it. That I perhaps I wasn't cut out for high school or the class I was taking, that there was something wrong with me and I wasn't a smart kid. That I should just give up.

Although, this all changed actually when a teacher gave me some advice. He was my favorite teacher from freshman year and actually taught my major at McKinley. To me, he represented this friendly grandfather figure that always cracked jokes to put me at ease and there for me when I needed help with a paper or just someone to talk to. He told me that I was a bright kid, that I was going to go places and that as long as I tried to the best of my ability then that’s all that really matters. I will never forget what he told me, he said “Life isn't easy. Sometimes you have to fight uphill battles. It won’t be easy and sometimes, you have to lose a few battles to win the war.” It sounds so simple and easy, but to me those worlds meant a lot to me. That a stranger who had become my teacher believed so much in me, and believed that I had a lot of potential. It’s different for me, to receive such belief rather from a teacher than from a family member or friend. I feel as though a teacher would be more brutally honest with me than someone who would want to spare my feelings.

So I went by his words. I didn't stress as much as I used to, I didn't beat myself up for getting a low grade. Instead I took it in stride, I pushed myself to do better. I made myself work until I reached the goal that I had set for myself. All throughout my freshman year up until now, where I am a senior, I remember his advice. It helped me get through the tough exams and midterms I had to take. I remember the tests and pop quizzes I studied for. And even if I got a low grade I knew that I would do even better next time. Because of one teacher believing in me, pushing me to try harder, and motivating me, I kept at trying and pushing myself. And with that, I can say that I am a very successful senior student.