Blue Collar or College? by Taylor

Blue Collar or College? by Taylor - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

When asked the question regarding who has had a positive impact on my education and how they impacted me, I immediately thought of my dad. My father had to drop out of high school when he was only a freshman to help provide for his dad. He never returned to school and went straight to the workforce. He never tells anyone because he would rather be viewed as someone that worked for everything, rather than struggle his way to where he is at. All these years he worked hard to make life better for his kids and ensure we could have the education we needed.
For years he told me I was not allowed to drop out. He wanted me to graduate high school, but he never pushed me to go to college. My father knew from personal experience that you could get paid more for a blue-collar job and have no debt, or go to college and have some debt after graduation. This was a lot to sort through and come to a decision on. At the time, I was also unsure of what career I wanted. I have been interested in many fields of work. This includes being a chef, physical therapist, agricultural land appraiser, and forensic biologist. I have taken different classes to see what works best with my interests and thought processes. In fact, I have cried to him several times over the difficulties I was having choosing. As fathers do, he comforted me and told me to write all of the reasons I wanted to do each career.
It took me a long time to come to my final decision, but I realized the career I wanted to do the most was being a forensic biologist. Never once did my dad tell me I had to go to college, but I believe it is the best option for me. My grades are very good, and I am involved in every club that my school offers. I do have skills that are related to some blue-collar work, but I am passionate about science, especially chemistry.
With the life experience my dad had and what he wants me to get out of life have influenced my education. I was never pressured to go to college or go straight to work. I am thankful that my dad gave me the choice and supported whatever decisions I made. With his help, I even decided to go out of state for college. After spending weeks researching forensic programs, I decided on the University of Nebraska- Lincoln.