Prioritize by Zackery

Prioritize by Zackery - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

My parents didn't even wait for me to reach school-aged before unfailingly preaching the importance of education, something neither of them were fortunate enough to pursue after high school.I have been told by family members time and time again that I would be the first Vaughan to ever graduate college, and it was rare to hear this without a hefty dose of advice immediately after. While I have received ample quality advice on the subject, I would fair it safe to sum up the most important piece of advice I have ever been given into a single word: prioritize.

For many it may be challenging to put education first, but not me. At an early age I discovered a powerful love of learning. Before ever stepping foot in a kindergarten classroom, my father had already had me solving basic multiplication and division problems, and at the same time teaching me to play chess. Even when I turned to the television I had learning in mind, tuning into shows like Blue's Clues to help Steve solve mysteries by gathering evidence, and learning how the world around me worked with Bill Nye.

It became quite apparent that this head start in education had made a significant impact in my early school years, always placing at the top of my classes, strengthening my thirst for knowledge. The simple, one-word philosophy I had been following aided me throughout my high school years as well, graduating from my school's Magnet program with distinction while still managing to be an active musician, losing thirty pounds, and having a job since I was legally able to drive. Once I was handed my diploma, however, I never could have imagined how taxing the obstacles ahead would be. Tuition, lab fees, books, and transportation are all just a few of the expenses that quickly began to add up.

Even with the complications I find between me and my lifetime goals, I will continue to put education before all else, refusing to lose the momentum I have been building since I first began learning. The idea I have been raised to believe, that education is paramount, is what motivates me not to give up even when the path ahead of me seems treacherous, which is why it is easily the most important piece of advice I have ever been given.