I Found My Passion by sara

I Found My Passion by sara - April 2013 Scholarship Essay

   After graduating high school, I took a year off of school to explore my interests. I was a substitute teacher during that year and decided I would pursue a degree in English and become a teacher. The following autumn, I enrolled at Austin Community College in Texas and began my college career. I felt generally bored with my coursework and confused as to why I was not thriving in college.
   My GPA suffered, dropping to a 1.67 as a result of my lack of interest. I dropped out of college in 2009, thinking it 'just wasn't for me.' In 2011, a family member offered to help me financially if I were to return to school. I took it as an opportunity to commit to my education and discover a passion. With that new sense of commitment, I turned my GPA around completely and now maintain a 4.0. One of the classes I took that year was an Environmental Geology course and I found myself completely fascinated in the subject. I knew I had found the passion I had been searching for.
   After researching environmental programs at various universities around the country, I found myself drawn to Washhington State. The variety of diverse ecosystems would give me the opportunity for a more well rounded education in the environmental field.  I visited UWB that spring and was auto-admitted for the Fall 2012 quarter. After moving to Washington, I realized how difficult (and costly) it would be to begin coursework at UWB without spending the time to become established here.
   I began researching my options and stumbled upon the Washington Conservation Corps. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me. I would get to work on a restoration project for one year while establishing residency and earn an education award to put towards future tuition in the process. I applied and got the job a week later!
   Since October 1, 2012, I have been working for WCC, restoring the gravel mine site at the Maury Island Marine Park. This work experience has only further proved to me that I am passionate about a career in Environmental Science. However, the work WCC crew members do is considered volunteer work due to the low hourly wage. I would like to be able to finish my degree in Environmental Science without having to sacrifice this incredibly rewarding job that has taught me so much.
   In July of this year, I will be able to be considered a Washington state resident and, after spending several years exploring what I am passionate about, I am very excited to finish my degree in Environmental Science at UWB.