Never Give Up by Sara

Never Give Up by Sara - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

As the saying goes, “hindsight is twenty-twenty.” Looking back on my education through grade school, high school, and the beginning of college, I only wish I had known then what I know now. As cliché as it sounds, the saying holds true. The best advice I could give to younger students is as follows: “this too shall pass,” hard work truly pays, and don’t you ever, ever give up.
As a student that faced great adversity in life, from the young age of four all the way through to my early twenties, one of the best pieces of advice passed down from my elders was: “This too shall pass.” A student’s home life greatly affects their education and how well they perform academically. Whether it may be something such as the divorce of their parents or a first big heartbreak, it is easy to get side tracked and let academic priorities fall to the wayside. These things are inevitable, unfortunately, and one must hang onto the reminder that it does get better. My parents separated when I was in fourth grade and divorced in the sixth. It was both a blessing and a burden. I grew up in an abusive home, with drug addicts for parents and a sister six years my elder who raised me. We often went hungry, had no running water, and no power. There were times where we were homeless, and where I was used as ‘collateral’ in a drug deal for my father to get his fix. The best way to get through was to focus on my own goals, and push forward to accomplish them every single day. School had always been my outlet, I loved the Gifted program and P.E. class. It was often the only time I would get to eat a full meal. As I got older, things improved to an extent. The state sent me to live with my mother when my father went to prison. A soccer coach took me under his wing and pushed me in school, encouraged me on the field, and acted as the father I so needed. When things were rough, I always knew that “this too shall pass.” No matter the trials and tribulations, whether it be a bully, not fitting in with the popular kids at school, financial struggles at home; it gets better. It may not seem that way right now, but once rock bottom is reached, it’s only up from there. An education is important, even at a young age, because it paves the way to a bright future. It helps to ensure stability, structure, and freedom in adult life.
Hard work is the force behind success and greatness of all kinds. It is not only important in education, but in everyday life, in the work place, or on a sports field. Some people are naturally born book smart, school just seems to come easy for those types of students. Others spend countless hours studying flashcards or with their nose in a book, exhausting all resources and options such as tutors to make a simple passing grade. Book worms on the Dean’s list often have to work harder in athletics or social situations. It doesn’t matter which aspect of life, never be afraid to put in the work it takes to be successful. The harder you work in high school, the better your chances for acceptance into the college of your dreams. The harder you work in college, the better your future will be with the career of your choice. Anything you set your mind to, you can accomplish.
The biggest and most important lesson in life: Never, ever give up. Nothing worth having in life comes easy, and sometimes even hard work and determination may not seem like enough. Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls here and there, and you may feel like you take three steps forward and five steps back. The only thing you can do is to focus on what you want most in life and do everything in your power to get it. It will be so easy to want to take a break from a college education. Whatever you do, DO NOT do that. Do whatever it takes to graduate with that diploma. In this day and age, a Bachelor’s degree is basically the equivalent to a high school diploma twenty years ago. Without a college education, it is hard to find a career, let alone one you will enjoy, or one that pays well. There will be so many naysayers and people who will doubt you and tell you that you can’t accomplish something. Tune them out and never let anyone hinder your hopes and dreams.