Mr. Isen "The Cost of Failure" by Sony

Mr. Isen "The Cost of Failure" by Sony - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Mr. Isen defines cost as the exchange of two or more things at a particular price. When we want something in life, we have to give up something in order to obtain it. Cost is not only measured in dollars or cents, but in other values as well. If there is a simple concept that all humans understand, it is that nothing in life is really free. School, work and sports cost people precious time, money, and countless hours of sleep. These costs are already so great and the real journey has not even started. Even if we do not achieve our goals it will still cost us. Giving up something in order to get nothing costs one even more and that would be the worst cost of all: failure.

Failure is a cost I know all too well. My early years in high school demonstrated that. I was naïve to think that passing classes was all that mattered. I ignored my homework, but did every project. I never studied, but I was a good test taker. At the time, I did not recognize how detrimental this would be as a student. I scraped by my freshman year as I passed all my classes with either a B or D. I thought sophomore year could be the same since it worked out 9th grade, so I tried the same thing 10th grade. However, by the end of the year I was failing my 10th grade English class. I found myself rushing to earn enough last minute points to either pass with a D- or go to summer school with an F+. Ultimately, I fell short of the mark and received an F, meaning I had to retake it my junior year. Yet, I was convinced that I could pass the following year with the same approach.

As junior year started, some negative thoughts flooded my mind. Instead of taking an elective that year, I was forced to retake my 10th grade English class. At first I was worried about carrying the burden of two English classes. Then I told myself that I enjoyed my summer instead of being in summer school and still moved onto the 11th grade. So dragging my English class did not seem as awful. I continued to slack, inching by every marking term. I thought it was smooth sailing as far as the English classes went, but at the end of the year I was failing Pre-Calculus. For the second year in a row, I had failed a class.

Instead of going to summer school, I worked at the Oak Square YMCA. Being a camp counselor made me more serious about my responsibilities. I wanted to bring that attitude into the classroom. That first day as a senior dragging Pre-Calculus, I knew I would have to be focused if I wanted to graduate. Suddenly, my teacher told me that my homeroom has been moved. When I got to my new homeroom, I received my new schedule and saw two appalling numbers: grade 11 and 2014.

Impossible! The fact that I was held back was beyond me. Furious as I was, I kept my head high and continued to give effort in every class. I went through the first three weeks of the school year without any answers until the guidance counselors told me that I was missing my junior elective. It was absurd that I met every core subject requirement but I was one credit short of graduating. Failing two classes cost me a diploma, all of my friends, and an entire year. Today I realized that my naïve, underachieving ways caused my downfall. No one can repay the tragic debt of lost time. This experience was a tremendous toll.

Nevertheless, this minor setback was a platform for a major comeback. Having gone through this failure, I have learned that the price of the goals I pursue may cost me more in the end. When one is paying money or giving up the time to acquire something they want, one’s approach should be effective. In my case, the price was simple but the cost I paid was so great that I came up empty-handed. The effect it had on me was so atrocious. Instead of getting what I wanted, I gained nothing out of this prolonged transaction. Yet, this five year transaction has taught me some unforgettable lessons. A lesson that my favorite teacher, Mr. Isen, told me was to achieve more than the bare minimum. Mr. Isen always used to say, “Partying, smoking, and drinking will not pay for school. Hard work and determination will.” Parties, drugs, alcohol and other outside forces that supposedly make high school and college more fun will not be worth the time and sacrifice. In the end, my college experience will not seem as fun if I cannot enjoy my life afterwards due to immense college debt. All of these lessons gave me an epiphany. My future is in my hands. If I truly work hard then the tables can turn. I will continue to do so for the next four years of school and with the help of this scholarship I can make my dreams affordable for my family and me. What Mr. Isen taught me was to not let those outside forces distract me from my goal because that failure will ruin the fruits of my labor.