Self Worth by Sierra

Self Worth by Sierra - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

Education is a vital resource in our society as it gives each of us individually the tools we need to seize and create new opportunities for ourselves and others. As a Sophomore in college I have learned that many people have been prepared differently to achieve their goals that brought them to pursue a degree in a chosen field. For example, many students took college level courses in high school that not only allowed them to get ahead before arriving in high school but in the meantime created a work ethic within them to handle the workload that will be required of them in the future. I personally hope to see more students being taught the importance of believing in themselves and developing a sense of value. I believe this will allow for more students in my predominantly latino and black communities to go for opportunities dominated by males and and white Americans such as computer science, engineering, and business. By incorporating these two ideas, we could see workplaces being more inclusive.

First of all, an individual who begins to know their worth and value will always strive for better opportunities and by teaching students this will allow them to have the confidence they need to go for higher education, apply for job positions or learn new skills. Knowing that you are valuable before you achieve a degree, attain material wealth, or any type of social status is imperative to understand especially at young age where constantly in our society we are taught to strive for these things in order to feel worthy. Knowing what truly matters to oneself will allow them better navigate through the many distractions that will try to take them away from their purpose or cause them to compromise their morals for something they didn't really want in the first place.

Furthermore, I believe that teaching students across all levels of education that investing in themselves is extremely important. As a college student I have only been able to make it this far because of the encouragement and support I received form my teachers. As a African-American student I have commonly been one of two or three African-Americans in my Honor and AP classes. The first opportunity I had to take an honors class was seventh grade when my biology teacher felt I could handle a slightly faster pace compared to her regular class. Her believing I could handle the course, gave me the confidence to at least attempt. From that moment on I began to play to my strengths knowing I was capable of doing well in English, science and history honors courses. Once I graduated high school I attained a 3.6 unweighted GPA and a weighted GPA of 5.2 which can all be traced back to that one moment I had in middle school. I commonly wonder how many other students, particularly of color, could have achieved so much more during their high school and middle school careers if someone would have encouraged them to try a higher level course. I believe even students who are not sure if the college route is for them would at least have an impressive transcript ready if they ever did decide to go as some students choose alternative routes such as military, entrepreneurial, or even a gap year.

All in all, these changes could help build up students from different backgrounds to have the mindset they need to preserve and keep focus on their goals.