New Beginnings is the Key to Success by Taylor

New Beginnings is the Key to Success by Taylor - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

“You never know if you don’t ever try” was a saying my father had always told me when I was a young girl. I had always waved my hand and said “yeah, yeah”, not thinking much about what he actually meant by it. Although, I had always looked up to my father. He spent open ended hours with me, sitting by my side telling me never ending stories about the most random of things he could think of. After he graduated high school he went straight into the Navy. There, he was stationed in many unique international countries in which he grew to love, as well as myself after hearing about the world of opportunities he was brought too.
In high school I was very much involved in learning foreign languages. The teacher I was most dependent on and grew a strong relationship with was my spanish teacher. I started spanish in middle school, and finished with Advanced my senior year of high school. Although I took spanish for six years of my life, I did think about learning other languages such as Russian, French, and Mandarin Chinese. I made friends with all international kids whom spent a semester/year in my high school despite the language they spoke. Learning about different cultures was, and still is a great interest of mine.
In the fall of my senior year I was given the opportunity to study abroad in Nicaragua with three teachers and sixteen peers of mine. At first I was nervous due to the fact that I hadn't been to a third world country before, but after consulting with my father and given his opinion, he persuaded me to try something new. It was my senior year, why not start it out with a bang! I spent two weeks in Nicaragua where I embedded myself in their culture while I built wood stoves, latrine, and gardens for a rural community in Siuna, Nicaragua. I also spend my evenings at a local school in which I taught english to.
Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am so honored I got the opportunity to indulge myself in such a unique culture from my own. From personal experience college/universities should make it a requirement for their students to study abroad for at least one semester within their two/four years of education. Study abroad not only had me analyze a different culture and setting, but I also learned much from it such as: not taking things for granted, career opportunities, wallow in a new language/religion, life experience, new friends and new interests. Going international has taught me things about myself I never knew and I believe would greatly impact students life positively.