Never Give Up! by Victoria

Never Give Up! by Victoria - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

         “The only way to achieve something is to never give up.” Though this seems cliché, it is the best advice that I have found. This advice founded the lives of many successful people and helped me to get through these past three years of my high school education. There are three examples of how I have seen and used this advice.

          Originally, I learned to persevere from the story of Dr. Ben Carson’s life. According to the movie, Gifted Hands, Dr. Carson was raised by a single mother in a low-income family. His grades were hopelessly low, until his mother decided that she wanted him to achieve excellence in life, rather than dropping out of high school. His mother soon started pushing him to become more and not give up. Later he became an excellent student and neurosurgeon, but he would need the advice “never give up” more than ever as he became the first man to successfully separate Siamese twins.

         I learned to use this advice by seeing it in action in my friend’s life. Nicole, a recent college graduate, moved to the Honduras as a missionary last fall. Her job, to teach English to Spanish-speaking kids at the mission school, was challenging. She did not speak Spanish when she left America. Shortly after she arrived in the Honduras, she was faced with several challenges. She got sick, had to adjust to living in a country with different living conditions, and had to get used to living with a dramatic roommate. In addition to that, she had to learn how to teach her Spanish-speaking students. She quickly became weary physically and mentally. She could have given up, but she did not. She knew that she would not achieve much if she left in the middle of her challenge. She still lives and teaches in the Honduras and is reaping the fruit of perseverance.

        Some examples of how I applied this lesson of perseverance from my friend’s and Dr. Carson’s examples can be found in my education and future plans. As a high school freshman I decided that I wanted to be the best student I could possibly be and set myself up for success in my college career. Much like many people's New Year's resolutions, my goal had good intentions, but it soon seemed like a huge task. Without my good piece of advice in mind, I would never have been able to achieve my straight A average through my junior year or make learning all of the high school course material such a high priority. I have used this advice in my pursuit of my future career goal, too. When I was in eight grade, I started the veterinary science program. As I worked through the program with the end goal of someday getting my degree as a doctor of veterinary medicine, I realized how challenging the program was. Many people told me how hard it would be for me to get into veterinary school and how hard the classes would be. A veterinary professor told me that I would not be able to have a life outside of the classroom at the veterinary college. As I thought about all of these things, I felt extremely discouraged; however, I did not let that stop me. Becuase I had the right examples and advice to help me, I have not given up on my dream . Even if I decide not to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, it will not be because I gave up on the idea. I will keep doing as Dr. Carson and Nicole did: pursuing a challenging goal that will have amazing end results. 

              In conclusion, the best advice I have ever received is “never give up.” With this advice, I will be successful in college and beyond as so many other amazing people have been by following that piece of wise encouragement. Those that follow this advice have lived a successful life that has touched and helped many other people that would not have been possible if they had given up the fight. With perseverance, I plan to help others in my life.