What Began With a Sticky Note by Sasha

What Began With a Sticky Note by Sasha - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

I remember sitting at my desk surrounded by half-charged camera batteries and a stack of worksheets for the STEM camp we were running the next morning, the night before one of my team’s biggest outreach events. My laptop was still open to our Impact Award submission draft, and I felt the familiar tug of wanting to keep working “just a little longer.” But instead, I did something unusual for me at the time. I closed the laptop, cleared my desk, and laid out exactly one object for the next morning. It was a single yellow sticky note with three words on it. Film. Teach. Lead.

When I woke up that day, I felt different. The clutter was gone, and I instantly became calm. That simple moment became the origin of a habit that has quietly powered the key to a successful day. It was my nightly reset ritual, a five-minute routine that prepares me to have a successful start the next day. The ritual is simple. I clear my workspace, put everything back where it belongs, and place one item connected to the next day’s most important task on top of my desk. It makes me maintain a clear mindset instead of a scattered one. What seems like a small task in terms of length has now become a huge part of my life and has had a great impact, especially with the number of different commitments I juggle.

I used this ritual to keep myself grounded through weeks of writing proposals and coordinating outreach across continents when helping my robotics team secure scholarships. Some nights, I left out the draft of our sponsorship letter. On others, I placed the Amdocs research packet that ultimately became part of our successful $18,000 pitch. Seeing it first thing in the morning kept me from procrastinating and helped break down intimidating tasks.

As the founder of Founding Funds, a nonprofit where young kids learn financial literacy with U.S. History concepts intertwined, I used the same ritual during summer camps. Before each session, I would lay out just one element of the next day’s lesson plan like a checklist on a sticky note, a computer charger, or even a visual aid. Those small visual cues made my mornings smoother, having to wake up early for the camps, and ultimately helped the entire program run more smoothly.

The ritual became even more essential in my media roles. As Head Videographer for CHS Orchestra and Senior Director for my school’s broadcast, preparation determined everything. Things like battery life, lighting, timing, and coordination may not seem important, but they determine the outcome of every project. I would leave out my SD cards and shot lists the night before filming. That way, my morning would be less frantic, and the event would run more seamlessly because I had mentally “arrived” before the day even started.

Even leadership-heavy roles like organizing a 100+ attendee political panel for Politics for Teens, coordinating international STEM events with SWENext, or preparing for Business Professionals of America Nationals benefited from the ritual. A single object placed the night before turned overwhelming projects into smooth beginnings. Over time, I’ve learned that the reset ritual isn’t just about tidiness. It gives me a moment of closure and a way to choose what direction my day will go before it begins. What started as one yellow sticky note has become one of the most dependable drivers of my academic discipline and personal balance.