The Wawa Failure by Wilkins

The Wawa Failure by Wilkins - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

“Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be” (Wooden). At 16 years of age, I got my first job. My first job was working a convenience store named, Wawa. My performance was initially abhorrent. I consistently made inexcusable mistakes; my employment was at risk for termination. Through my struggles, however, I learned methods to work in a fast-paced environment. I would not have learned this lesson if it were not for failure. Failure is crucial for success given one learns from it. The power to learn from mistakes, and change comes from within. Call it cliche if you please, but it is true. Within, one must contain perseverance. Perseverance is not quitting. Perseverance is getting back to your feet no matter how many times you have been knocked down. The skill of perseverance is what I would point to as the key skill needed in a tough situation. I was in a tough situation.
A job is what many consider to be the real world. Is school the fake world? As ridiculous as that may sound, there is truth to the statement. I struggled with adjusting to this real world. In a job, one must learn the required skills and procedures quickly. Additionally, one must perform exceptionally well. That was my struggle. I failed at getting work done exceptionally well, much less well! I was overwhelmed. I could not prepare orders accurately, nor could I manage the massive influx of coffee demands. Perhaps most of all, I could not maintain the cleanliness of the customers’ area, and that was a major aspect of the job! I was a week into my job and the temptation of quitting was tasteful.
After each workday, I reflected on each mistake I made. I aimed to understand the cause of the mistake and develop a solution. I established new plans and methods to complete my work successfully. My parents provided me with guidance, support, and advice. I prepared myself to come into work and be successful for a change. The following week, I entered Wawa with my head up. I had the walk of a working man, and a look of confidence. Someone watching me might even say I had swag. I began my shift, and immediately entered the kitchen. Last week, I mistakenly did not brew iced coffee, and was unprepared for when a customer ordered it. This week, I made sure to brew a new batch of iced coffee in advance. Next, I left the kitchen to clean and restock the customers’ area. Everything was perfect. For the moment, I was completely caught up on my responsibilities. I had nothing to do so I figured I could return into the kitchen and organize the counters for a little bit. My supervisor was sure to be impressed! I reentered the kitchen and was greeted by a flooded iced coffee machine and 2 upset coworkers. I brewed 2 packs of iced coffee instead of 1 and flooded the entire counter and floor. My supervisor took notice of all my mistakes. I disappointed everyone and my first job was in jeopardy of being lost. I clocked out of my shift and left the building with my head down. I had the walk of a broken man, and lack of confidence. Someone watching me might even say I needed some swag back.
I felt utterly defeated. I despised my job and was frustrated. At this moment I failed; however, there was hope. I put aside my pride and took responsibility for my mistakes. I was determined to be extraordinary at my job. I watched my coworkers work and took mental notes. I talked to coworkers, gathering strategies and tactics. I learned from each failure and made sure not to repeat them. Each week, I improved and over time, I was comfortable with the workload. I even began to make friends with my coworkers and realized they were not as scary as I previously thought. Quitting this job or being fired was not an option for me. I was determined to be successful at Wawa.
Failure is spectacular. I love the lessons learned from failure. I am reminded of John Wooden’s quote that I shared earlier. The message was, if one never changes, the effect of failure is terminal, but if one can change, failure will be used to their benefit (Wooden). Initial failure does not kill, but repeated failure will. One must learn from their mistakes to avoid complete failure in life. I can proudly say that I have learned from my mistakes. Today I am coming up on two years with the same Wawa store I began at later this year.