Sometimes Failure is All We Need by Viridiana

Sometimes Failure is All We Need by Viridiana - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

Weirdly enough, failure has actually been my greatest academic achievement. Yeah, I know, failure is the last thing anyone would like to have accomplished in their life. But for me, it was the life saver towards my career. I attended UC Davis right after I graduated from high school in 2011. I was ready to pursue my career as a veterinarian, specializing in exotic animals. I started out the fall quarter super confident. I said to myself, “Hey, if you were able to graduate on top of your class with a GPA above 4.0, how hard can college be?” Boy was I wrong! Fall quarter ended and my grades were way below average. Winter quarter was next and I told myself that maybe it was just that one class that put me down, but once again I was below average.

I was later called in by my counselor to discuss my grades because if I did not get them back up I was going to be dismissed/disqualified. When that information was given to me, I felt a giant knot in my throat. I couldn’t believe that a student like me was failing this much in college. I mean, college is supposed to be fun, challenging, but at the same time conquerable. I was losing my mind because I couldn't get it wrapped around my head what was happening. Spring quarter came and I was in all loss towards my future. I did not know what to do. Sadly, I did not make great progress in my spring quarter and was dismissed.

All summer I thought to myself, what did I do wrong? What was I supposed to do now? Why was I able to do so good in high school but not in college? Later that summer my high school adviser from the FFA Agronomy team I was in asked me if I wanted to help train the new group. So I did and later I also helped in being a judge at the FFA Team Competitions in Chico State. It was at this moment that I realized why I had failed so miserably in college. I was missing my passion. I was never passionate in becoming a vet, I was actually doing it this whole time to make my parents proud of me. I wanted to be as successful as I could possibly be. But in reality I was in agony in every animal science class I was taking. I mean, I was able to pass all of my other classes but just not the animal science ones. I was so excited and full of glee that I couldn’t wait to start school again!

I talked with my counselor from UCD and asked them what I could do to be able to come back. They told me that all I had to do is retake the classes I did not pass at any UC during the summer. That way I could clear my deficit and be able to come back to UCD. I couldn't believe the opportunity I was being given and was ready for a fresh start.

Now, everybody knows that the higher the college/university is, the more money it is going to cost. So I decided that I would attend community college before I went back to UCD. So far I have been doing better than I was in UCD. I have been able to grasp how I learn, how to study, and be able to pass classes. I've also been able to mostly pay for my schooling.

Of course I have to attend UCs during the summer in order to go back to UCD. Currently I’m living in San Clemente, California with my husband. It has been hard for us starting from the bottom and working ourselves up. But I promised myself, my family, and him that school is the last thing I will give up. I would be willing to do whatever it takes to stay in school. Money doesn't come easy which is why I have come to writing in this scholarship in hopes that I could get help to pursue my education. Win or lose, I am grateful that opportunities like these are available for us students looking for a brighter future.

I’m so glad I failed though, because if I didn't I would have been stuck in a job that I did not truly love. I would be making great money, probably, but it would mean nothing to me in the end. But when I graduate from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences and minoring in Agronomy, which is when I will be truly proud of myself. I will get there, maybe not soon, but I will make it to the finish line.