The Power of Learning by Stephanie

The Power of Learning by Stephanie - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

Social situations have always been a challenge for me. Being diagnosed with multiple mental and physical health disorders before age 10 proved to be difficult socially early on. In kindergarten, I struggled to communicate with peers or my teacher. My mom was in the principal’s office almost every day to try and understand why I came home crying daily. These types of struggles continued as I aged and only grew worse. Making friends was almost impossible and I couldn’t get a grasp on how to hang out with others socially. I was diagnosed with one thing after another and given several treatment options, but nothing seemed to help my socializing abilities. I couldn’t figure out when to speak, what to say, or how to say it. I often avoided socializing or situations that led to it. Once I entered college, the struggles were even more prominent. Though teaching was my passion, I made the decision to switch my major from education to communication. I did this in hopes of bettering myself and gaining communication skills. I thought that by learning about communication, maybe I’d be able to actually practice it.

The courses taught me not just how to communicate in general, but broke down how to do it, specifically. This was very helpful because I had never had the process of communication broken down for me to understand. After earning my bachelor’s degree in communication, I was a little more confident in my ability to communicate. Though social situations have still been a struggle, I am able to speak and listen to the words of others. Sometimes I still slip up or have difficulty, but being able to communicate that I’m struggling is sometimes helpful enough. Communication is a very helpful tool now; however, learning has always been my greatest skill. Being able to identify a problem, research solutions, and come to the best conclusion has helped me get through every adversity I’ve faced. It was terrifying changing my major, but I knew I had to in order to be a successful part of society. I needed to understand people and how communication works in order to get past adversity. Without gaining those communication skills through learning, I would not have been able to change in or understand social situations. Learning more about communication gave me the skills I need to be successful socially.

Through education, I was able to identify my problem with socializing, then by learning about the problem I was able to see possible solutions, and by learning about those solutions I’ve been able to find tricks that work for me. I can communicate when I’m struggling, ask for help, or find other resources that will lead me in the right direction. Before learning more about communication, I felt stuck–like there was a wall between me and everyone else. Though I still struggle now, I am better prepared through the knowledge I’ve gained, because there is no problem or adversity that can not be solved with the power of learning.