Integrity Where You Least Expect It by Tim

Integrity Where You Least Expect It by Tim - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

The classroom has taught me how to find the coefficient of kinetic friction and what an oxymoron is, but there are things that can only be learned through life experiences. Due to there being no Life Lessons 101 course, we must look for them in our everyday lives. These virtues and values are not hidden in a textbook, but instead, the world around us. There is so much more in life to learn outside of the classroom and can be found where one least expects it. Without even realizing it, I discovered integrity within myself in a gymnasium.
Game five of the Wisconsin Boy's Volleyball State Championships has commenced and the crowd is going wild. Through the first four games I put the team on my back; an incredible feat, especially that I am only a junior. The fifth game is the final game of the set, win or go home. As the game nears its end, the melting pot of students, parents, and scouts simultaneously rise to their feet as the final serve is hit. The sensation in my hand goes from numb to immense pain as the ball makes contact with my shattered bone. All I can do is stare at the ball as it sails out of bounds. We lose.
This essay looks back at the lowest point in my volleyball career. Six months have passed since that match. I remember it like it was yesterday and it still haunts me like a ghost. The entire team depended on me to be clutch and I let them down. I failed my team. Despite it being tough, I accept that what has happened is in the past. It cannot be changed. I am left with the options of dwelling in what cannot be undone, or to learn and improve from mistakes. It became my goal after that match to recover and progress forward by dedicating myself to improvement. I look at myself today and ask the question: How have I improved?
The mission to succeed was a long and tireless six month process. I could not have started the commitment any worse though with a complete lack of dedication. Early on, I discovered how easy it is to slip into lazy habits resulting in no progress. I rarely worked out, ate healthy, or practiced. An entire month was wasted up until one day I spotted something on my desk. It was the tape I used to protect my broken fingers during the state volleyball match in which I lost. On the tape, a senior had written "play with your heart". It caused me to think back to that match and how it ended. I had came home after the state match, tore the tape off, and slammed it on my desk out of frustration. I had not moved it since. Seeing those words inscribed on the tape caused me to think about how failure had felt and how I was not doing anything to improve from it. From that moment on, I have been dedicated and committed to improving. This dedication was shown by countless hours in the gym lifting, running, and sweating resulting in a stronger athlete. The best improvement, however, was my attitude. I am now more disciplined in everything I do. I am aware of how effort must be applied in order to achieve results that match my goals. I may have lost the volleyball match, but I gained a new and better attitude in dealing with failure.
The classroom is a terrific setting for studying topics such as physics, calculus, and history. Life, however, does not use a classroom nor does it give study guides. I developed the quality of integrity through a failure. Life can be tricky and even sneaky in the way it builds character. All of our failures, successes, and sometimes menial experiences make us who we are. If we are able to learn and grow from them, our character will only improve.