Confidence is Key by Seth

Confidence is Key by Seth - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

My one piece of advice to an incoming freshman would be: find the confidence within yourself to succeed, regardless of your fears and inadequacies, because your college education will touch the lives of many individuals from this point forward.

My road in obtaining a higher education may not be as traditional as most; however, it has truly been a blessing in disguise. It all began in high school when I became fascinated with the practice of medicine; as I witnessed my father heal many ailments as a doctor. Although I dreamed of becoming a doctor myself, as I highly enjoyed being taught medicine by my father, I unfortunately lacked the confidence in pursing my dream. My constant struggle with depression and attention-deficit-disorder was a hindrance in pursuing personal goals, such as educational endeavors. After graduating high school, I decided to do some soul-searching and served a two year mission for my church in South Chicago, Illinois, where I was introduced to the very real and painful medical struggles of these individuals. On one such occasion, I was eating dinner with a family, when a man came to their home and began an altercation. Things quickly escalated, resulting in a family member being stabbed. The skills and techniques that I previously learned from my father were essential in my ability to save this man’s life, as I applied pressure over his wounds and helped him to remain calm. When the ambulance arrived, I was told that if I had not acted as quickly or confidently as I did, he would have died. After this powerful experience, I developed the confidence to pursue my dream of obtaining a higher education, as well as applying to medical school, so as to help as many people as possible.

A college education is such a powerful tool in being able to touch the lives of many, which is why it is so important to forgo your fears of inadequacies and develop confidence within yourself to succeed.