Intention Matters by Sarah

Intention Matters by Sarah - March 2019 Scholarship Essay

“Your intention matters.” This is something that my mother told me when I was entering my seventh-grade year at Garaway High School. Having the young mind that I did, I was perplexed by what she had told me. Two simple words that, at the time, had a convoluted meaning. I had never thought much about those words until the beginning of my freshman year.
At our school, to participate in concert band, you must join the marching band. Now, I have always had a stronger passion for concert band. The idea of having to move and play while a whole audience fixated their eyes on me felt like a nearly impossible task. There were many conversations between my mother and me about joining the marching band since she had done it all throughout her high school years and expected me to do the same. My mother proposed for me to at least attempt one year, and if I didn’t enjoy it, I would be allowed to quit playing music altogether, despite her earlier expectations. Eighth-grade year ended, and, after much deliberation, I decided to join: I was going to do marching band.
That last October football game came around, and it was senior night for the football players, marching band members, and cheerleaders. My whole demeanor changed that night, and all it took were seeing the tears of a senior who had put five years of dedication into the marching band. These band seniors were not only deemed the leaders of the band, they were considered much more than that, much more valuable. They aided me when I needed assistance, raised me up when I was feeling down, and most importantly, helped me get out of my shell and express myself with music and movements. Watching them walk down the field, hand in hand, brought tears to my eyes. In this moment, it brought back what my mom had said: intention matters. It was in then that I realized my intention mattered. Why I was joining marching band mattered. Why I would continue to be in marching band mattered.
I would continue to be in the marching band, not for the certainty of being in the concert band, but so I could impact students going through the same process that I was. I wanted to be there for other students. I learned that I have an impact on how people view things, and that other people can have an impact on me as well. To be that influence, and show why you do something matters, was now my new purpose.
Those three words spoken from my mom, “Your intention matters”, have taught me that I need to evaluate why I am doing something, whether it be because I am passionate about it, I think it might be fun, or just so I can put it on an application. Every activity I have taken place in since then has been genuinely because I am passionate about it. I feel this will help carry me where I need to go, as I will ask myself about my intentions to know if it will be worth my time. I would tell those students that our choices help define us and make us who we are and that one day in marching band has helped shape me into who I am today.