College Admissions Essay: How Scholarship Changed My Life

Life normally doesn’t go the way you plan when you’re young. When I was little, I figured that when I was at the age of graduation I would be totally prepared to go off my own. As I sit and think about the topic of how my life is going, several thoughts pour into my mind. First, I think of how lucky I am. The past two years could’ve changed my life because of bad health. Through weeks and months of hospitals stays and hours spent in the doctor’s office and in the emergency room, I’ve come out lucky and I have almost returned to good health. Second, I think of those friends who I thought would be there for my whole life that are no longer a part of my life. I also look to the people who I never thought would be there by my side and realize

If I had a 3,000 dollar scholarship it would change my life. It would mean that I would get to see my mom for once instead of her stopping by getting changed then leave to go work another twelve hour shift. It would mean my mom doesn’t have to choose between eating dinner and helping me pay for tuition. A 3,000 dollar scholarship would allow me to become who I want to be and give my parents a stable life.

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work." - Thomas Edison. An opportunity can change your life, but your attitude towards the opportunity will determine whether it will make your life better. I believe you should take the opportunity when you see it.

Growing up, I never had the warm pleasures of bedtime stories; instead, I would hear about the unimaginable impoverishment my parents faced in their childhood. The immediate reality of poverty obscured their investment in their brighter futures; both were forced both to sell lottery tickets on the streets or trade vegetables for portions of meat: just to help sustain their families. Looking back at those nights, I can only be grateful. As one of the first in my family to attend college, I am piloting a new future, one where I hope to lift not only my family out of their struggles but also the community that has always supported me and global communities today.

“You know Kwesi, I only came to this country with forty bucks in my pocket and the clothes on my back and look where I am today.” -- words from my father I thought to myself the first time I saw a rifle plummet down to my head.

Throughout high school, I always envisioned myself majoring in International Business and achieving the highest degree in that field. But, this past year and a half, along with the tense political season made me realize my true passion for politics. After thinking about it restlessly, I decided that it majoring in Political Science would be the most interesting and beneficial for me and my future.

When life gives you the opportunity to be successful, you take it. So, out of every let down or every time you ever ask yourself, “was it worth it?”…, you say “definitely”, persevere, and continue seeking greatness. When I got that opportunity, I hit the ground running. I was hungry to become successful, hungry to graduate from college, hungry to even hear my dad say, “I’m proud of you”. Maybe I could have taken a different route but hey, growing up in a small town like Mullins SC with a high unemployment rate, don’t get you too far. I couldn’t find myself falling into that statistic. Working temp jobs, wondering how I would pay for college…, it was rough, definitely some humble beginnings. This by no means is a message for sympathy.

Throughout my life I have battled against mayor struggles. Struggles which to some may seem like it was nothing and to others it may look like it`s a horrible situation. My entire childhood I lived in my home country of Puerto Rico, and honestly had never thought about the outside world. As time passed, the more crime progressed to levels that could never be seen in America. Crime had become unbearable and unescapable, so much that stepping on someone’s shoe on accident would lead to that person shooting you or threatening to do so. I as a child could see what was happening, and I could see how my countries problems had affected me greatly. Shootings right behind my house almost every day, 9-year-old`s bringing guns and pocket knives to school, people breaking in to my school to kill students selling drugs. The biggest problem that affected me was that my father, being a kind-hearted man, risked his life to save two students who were

I believe in searching for new perspectives. Time is incessant, and each day provides the opportunity for a fresh experience. I fear an unstoppable routine, knowing the world could offer me more than what is in my vicinity. With a constant restraint for viewing only what is in my reach, it is impossible to become the person I am destined to be.

This scholarship would make my life a little easier. I am not qualified for a grant. Although, i have a full time job, it is not enough for rent and food. I am also going through a divorce which is making it difficult to be a financially stable. This scholarship would make my dream of teaching a reality. I am ready to work hard getting my degree and showing my family that it is possible to finish college even if one started from the bottom.

My family and friends will tell you that I was the most charismatic and friendly child that they have ever met. I was almost too friendly that my parents often worried that I would walk off with a stranger, because I was so willing to communicate and share silly stories with everyone. I have always been interested in people. Learning about someone who has different and unique experiences is like opening my eyes for the first time all over. Although I loved learning about strangers, I even more so enjoyed building the relationships of the people I love. Unfortunately, towards the end of my junior year, my interest in others became consumed by my own ambitions. Instead of paying attention to the people who loved, cared, and supported me, I focused on what I thought was the most important: qualifying for state in track. When I didn’t qualify, I became volatile and

“Don’t you dare run out there again,” my mom threatened. I scoffed, bouncing a marbled ball off my white walls to stay entertained - heaven forbid I play outside and hurt myself, or worse, dirty my pink dress. My mom was comfortable being confined to these walls cooking while my baby brother stacked blocks. When my dad pulled into the driveway after a long day at work, the perfect nuclear family was complete.

A scholar is defined as, “A person who is highly educated has an aptitude for study.” This definition perfectly describes the reasoning for scholarship as well as the potential future from being a scholar. The impact of being a scholar has allowed me to advance in school and prepare for scholarship outside of high school. Scholarship has allowed me to maintain good grades and with that retain the knowledge gained from my classes. Being a scholar has created the desire to learn and gain as much knowledge as possible. Debate has allowed me to become a better scholar, and with that scholarship has helped me with debate. TSA also has taught me to be scholarly among and with others. The impact of being a scholar has been great on me.

High school has been an experience to say the least. I’ve spent the last four years at Father Ryan attempting to find myself and my place in the world, much like puzzle piece. A puzzle has many pieces that contribute to an entire image when properly placed among each other. High school is similar to this idea because throughout the past four years I have constantly been trying to find my perfect fit and where I belong. When I was a Freshmen I molded my personality to fit anywhere just to have friends. Then when sophomore year began I realized how much of myself I was sacrificing to fit into the wrong place. Once junior year arrived I was getting closer to my perfect fit and now that it is senior year I’ve finally found my fit in the big puzzle called high school.

As a student of Vernon Malone College and Career Academy, I recall applying with aspirations to make a difference and to have a chance to contribute more to the world around me. I also yearned to see a change in myself and in my general towards the daily tribulations we as humans face each day. These are the same ambitions that led to my desire to want to join National Honor Society.