Appreciating What I Have Experienced by Summer

Appreciating What I Have Experienced by Summer - October 2019 Scholarship Essay

I am far from perfect and am always wanting to achieve more. However, this prompt has had me thinking... how did I get here? It was not on my own, I know that for a fact because if my life was only in my hands I would be in a professional mermaid class by now following the dream I had when I was five. My success is also not due to what my parents have done for me or else I would be an awful driver with a horrendous sense of fashion. So, who has brought me to where I am? Who do I thank for my academic achievements of getting A's and understanding all of the nonsense coming out of my teacher's mouths. I thought deeply on this and realized that it is not a "who", but a "what." And not just a "what," but many.

Throughout my 17 years I have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am thankful for the good that I have had in my life. The opportunities of having a variety of classes at my schools like Accounting and Business that pushed me to find my passion in life. The clubs that I am involved in, such as Encore show choir and S.A.D.D. that got me acclimated and helped me feel excepted. The people who have picked me up after I fell thousands of times over like my counselors and friends. The good has helped me smile throughout life, which has helped me stay positive when I had a big test coming up or a giant homework packet I had to finish. The good things in my life that I have experienced have helped me achieve well in school and have encouraged me to always try harder.

Although the good has played a large role in my academic success, life isn't always on a high and neither is someone's success. The bad things that I have lived through have taught me that it's okay to fall short on an exam or essay. Being bullied taught me that I am not perfect, but neither is anyone else. Losing friends and family members to cancer and shootings has taught me that I must seize the day for all it's worth no matter what. The bad has taught me to look past my struggles and focus on what I can do. I could always focus on my study guides or quizlets. I could always focus on getting an A or at least striving for one. The bad helped me lean on my schooling for support, which helped me to succeed throughout the years.

However, The ugly helped me achieve more in school and encouraged me to keep learning than anything else. Seeing kids without homes on the news and serving in cities with my friends where students would rather be at school than with their families at home because they didn't feel safe helped me to realize how good I have it. But not only that, these things have helped me realize that I have the power to make life better for others. That power though, starts with my success in my education. So what has driven me to succeed in school and what has encouraged me to keep my grades up is exactly that. Not a "who," but a "what."