Satisfaction Over $ by Sasha

Satisfaction Over $ by Sasha - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

Participate in the most prolific extracurriculars in high school; spend thousands of dollars on college application materials; go to the school with the highest ranking; get the degree that will earn you the most money.

Implemented at an early age, this is the golden lifestyle that students are taught will lead to a successful life. It has been widely accepted that success can be measured by an ‘S’ with two slashes. This is why it is so common to hear phrases from kids as young as the elementary level saying “ I want to be a doctor” or “ I want to be a lawyer”. While undoubtedly noble and ambitious aspirations, students have been led to believe that these careers will lead to success.

While many will argue that success can be found in the value of a numeric digit, I believe that success can be found through the contentment of the soul. Being successful in college means exploring different paths, participating in enhancing co curriculars, and having the gut feeling that whatever you are doing has the potential to make both yourself, and at least one other person in this mad world happy. If you dream of being a Neurosurgeon who attempts to remove brain tumors and heal hemorrhages, then go for it. If coding and software development occupy your thoughts like no other field of study could, I want to see you walking down that graduation stage with a Computer Science degree. If you dream of reaching the heart of the world through pen and paper, go to Journalism school. If you feel called to teach the next generation about those that came before them, then become the next Mr. Feeny and have your own classroom of Cory’s, Shawn’s, and Topanga’s. The late Kobe Bryant once said, “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” Whatever you choose to do as a young scholar, I beg of you to do it from the depths of your heart.

Nonetheless, I cannot ignore the fact that this is the real world and practicality must come to play. I do not advocate spending thousands of dollars on college degrees that offer extremely difficult chances of establishing a career. My point is not to avoid reality and simply live life as a dream. This is why I advocate for combining passion with practicality. As opposed to only majoring in something you are passionate about and has low career possibilities, maybe double major with a field that has a positive job outlook .Another alternative could be to minor in your passion area and major in a field that can become a profession. This way, you can reach for the stars and land on the moon if all else fails. While I have not officially decided on my major, I am currently considering a double major in English Literature(passion) and Economics( practicality). Above all else, the point I am attempting to make is that salary should not be seen as more important than satisfaction. I do not believe in pursuing a career that you completely loath for a good paycheck. Not only will you be hurting yourself, but you will also be hurting whoever you provide a service to. I know for sure that I would not want a surgeon who hates their job or cries at the thought of entering the hospital operating on me.

Success in college means taking risks and not looking for the easy way out. Maybe you’ve been labelled a statistic and those around you do not believe you have the intellectual ability to get the degree you wish to receive. Prove them wrong; don’t opt out and go for that “easier” major you feel no passion towards; aim for what you are called to do. We often think of all the downfalls that come with taking risks, but never the benefits. Risk comes with uncertainty, and uncertainty challenges us to find answers. Finding answers means searching, and searching means enjoying the journey while reaping a unique outcome.

With all this being said, success in college comes down to one simple goal- finding your purpose. And no matter what that purpose is, make sure that you spend those years pursuing a goal that is unique and true to you. Is it going to be tough? Yes. Are you going to feel like giving up? Truthfully, you may. But just remember one thing- a successful person should never have a testimony without having some sort of test.