The Video Project by Scarlet

The Video Project by Scarlet - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

When I'm asked the question of if I've ever had an academic experience that challenged me, I often have to pause and think of the answer people want. I could go in depth on my struggles with ADHD and autism, and how teachers treated me differently, and looked at me in different ways after they found out. Or how when I struggle and when I can't comprehend the ideas being taught I get stressed and overwhelmed, and often find that others are unwilling to help me find a solution, and tend to instead judge me. But that's not the answer people want.

The answer people want is about my video project I did Jr year. I had just moved up to the midwest from Texas and had a lot going on. I had a fainting spell that was likely actually a seizure, I had gotten injured in wrestling, I knew no-one, and my parents ended up separating. It was difficult. I was having stressed induced panics and would twitch when scared, and was just living in a mode of survival. During this time is also when I actually learned I have autism, and so my reactions to panic weren't just me exaggeration like my step-dad tried to imply.

Generally all of this was going down simultaneously, I got the injured ankle first, before Christmas actually, but my fainting incident was followed in short order by my parents splitting. In fact the incident was largely the catalyst. I didn't know who to rely on, and hardly knew anyone well enough to dive into the depths of the issues I was facing. And it really all came to a head in English.

I was given a project in my English class. We had to pick a topic that inspired us or we felt strongly about and do this major research project. I chose ADHD stigma. It seemed simple enough, but with everything going on it felt impossible, and it didn't help at all when I asked for an accommodation to be met from my English teacher, and she just dismissed it, and made my request sound crazy, and frankly, stupid.

I did well in the class, and for most parts of the assignments I excelled, but then it came to the preemptive writing, and all these little tasks that were required and assigned and built up off each other, even though most were generally pointless. And it all culminated in the final Video project.

I kept putting it off, it was so overwhelming and difficult, and felt pointless since I wrote an entire essay on ADHD stigma, why make a video? I truly got down to the wire. And honestly I really didn't do it alone. My mom encouraged me to work for it, my friends did, our assistant teacher offered assistance, and to be honest after all these people put in the effort to help, I didn't want to let them down. So I got to it.

It wasn't my best creation by any means, but it was good, and I put in the effort and it payed off. It didn't make anything else in my life suck any less, but to me it was proof that even though I was struggling, I could still do good things. And in a weird twisted way prove that my ADHD and Autism don't define me.

So for me and the answer everyone wants, the time I overcame my biggest academic struggle was a silly five minute english video in Jr year, but I'm truly proud of what I did.