be a role model for yourself by Shane

be a role model for yourself by Shane - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

I never liked the phrase, “Live your life as if it were your last day.” In the back of my mind, I knew it probably never was, and that thought lingered. Every time I repeated the phrase, it slowly lose its effect. This and many other quotes shared the same fate, so instead of repeating those quotes, I stopped resorting to outside motivations and dug deep into myself to find a reason, a why. Why do I want to? Do I need to? Am I doing this for others? It’s about being better for yourself so when you look back, the person you were yesterday would be proud of what you are doing and the person you have become. The sense of accomplishment when you know you’re just 1% better than you were yesterday is astonishing.

That sense is also something you look forward to in the future when you know tomorrow is another place of growth and improvement, and the future holds many struggles to fear. But if you keep pushing today your future problems will be much easier to handle.

This act of pushing yourself to be the person who not only you look up to but others as well will propel you to places you couldn’t even dream of. I wish I had adopted this mindset sooner. Looking up to people isn’t bad, but you don’t grow if you only try to fit into the shoes of someone you think is better than you. Being your own role model will help you be the person you want to become and lead you to the future of your choosing.