overcoming adversity by Simeon

overcoming adversity by Simeon - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

I have had many passions throughout life. Your passions change based on things you experience. I had a passion for basketball for eight years, I was praised for the points I scored on a consistent basis, and when I transferred high schools I looked like the worst person on the court. I quit basketball and tried numerous activities to fill my time but the activities did not feel the same. I later tried out for a summer basketball team for college students and made it. I gained my confidence back and had a more positive outlook on life. If I were a college professor I would teach classes on how to overcome adversity.
Adversity is my middle name in a sense. I have always had to overcome the same obstacle, you are not good enough. I used to ask myself why did God put me in this poor family. Everywhere I look I see people struggling to make it through the month. My neighbors get their check from the government on the first and it goes to bills and they don't have enough to buy groceries for the month. My mom and I have never been hungry, but we have gone from guest room to guest room because she could never afford to keep a roof over my head. We have a permanent address for two years but for four years we are moving like nomads. In high school, I got my first job and it seemed like I was in that never ending cycle of bills first food later. I can teach my students my mistake of taking on too much I could bare financially.
I would use my experience as an example and provide my students with simple ways to deal with adversity, such as meditation to clear the mind, finding a religion and building faith so that they can feel they are not alone, and because they all took the class it is a greater chance they will build friendships that can last a lifetime. During college we all have our own set of issues we deal with especially freshman, these adversities can come in many forms and fashions, such as being home sick, academics, and building new friendships. This class will help students overcome the adversities of college, and they can transfer the skills they learned into the real world.