Early Lessons That Shaped My Life by Andrew

Early Lessons That Shaped My Life by Andrew - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

The benefits of a college education cannot be underestimated. My time with the University of South Florida has been transformative and eye-opening. The professors there have done so much to ease the pressures of looming deadlines. Their expertise and guidance have helped refocus my energy and efforts resulting in a push towards producing work that I thought was unobtainable. Without the reassurances and commitment to student success, I don’t know how I would have made it through my last few semesters. Within my renewed interest at school and drive for success, I have learned so much about life, specifically about the willingness of others to see people succeed. Whether it is reaching out to my peers or professor's, everyone has been more than willing to help. When I have been at my lowest, my peers have helped lift me out of my slump. This group effort shows through in my work and has pushed me to set my sights higher.

My early relationship with higher education started off with very negative results. I began my college career by a standoffish position with many of my professors and often chose to skip out on my obligations for my classes. Due to my apathy towards education, I spent very little time on my assignments and received embarrassingly low grades. After taking a few years break, I started to explore my interests and enrolled in urban studies and environmental policy program. As I progressed through my associate's degree, my grades began to climb and school started to come to me with greater ease. Now that I am into my bachelors, my interest is peaked and I actively seek out opportunities to expand myself. I have hit my stride and feel comfortable and confident in the final stages of my bachelor's. I have reached a point in my successes that I had never thought possible. I look forward to continuing my sprint forward with education and reaching a goal that had seemed impossible a few short years ago.

My family has always stressed the benefits of hard work. My elders are testaments to the power of determination and fortitude. It is to them that I owe my sense of place in the world and my drive to accomplish what I believe to truly be a positive step forward. My great grandparents immigrated to America from Syria in the early 1900’s to escape persecution and provide a better life for their families. Seeing the horror coming out of Syria today, I cannot help but stare into the eyes of the men, women, and children and see a bit of myself and my family. I believe that because of the efforts of my great-grandparents, that my family maintains their resolve, courage, and willpower. I have great admiration for my family members and their successes. They have been incredible role models and inspire me to do great things.

In my life, there have been many hurdles that I have had to overcome. Having had a severe lack of supervision and accountability in my adolescent years, I found any and every reason to defy anyone in a position of authority. It was my goal to give teachers, local law enforcement, and my parents the hardest time imaginable. This relationship with authority was a ticking time bomb. After my reckless and irresponsible behavior, I am lucky to have come out with my life and health intact. Reflecting on my past, I now have a greater understanding of the troubles that face America's youth. I have been fortunate to find meaning in life through my passions in urban planning and environmental policy. I hope to be in a position where I can connect the youth and the greater public with their desires by providing a safe, efficient, and equitable environment. Through purposeful and responsible public policy and equitable planning, a city can create an environment in which all members of the community can be given the opportunity to realize their dreams.

It is my role as a planner is to use my background in environmental science and policy to help incorporate concepts of environmental justice into local and regional plans. Through my continued career in school and eventual advancement into a graduate program, I look forward to researching solutions that will benefit communities across America and the world. Having found equitable and transferable solutions to environmental ills, I hope to engage in a career in policy advocacy and work towards lifting a community out of poverty. Using my background in policy management, equitable planning, and community development, I believe that I am uniquely situated to make great changes for the future generations. It is because of my unwavering passion for seeing people and communities come together to succeed, that I believe why I am deserving of this scholarship. I have a shown proclivity towards hard work and tireless effort. I have managed to work towards and maintain a 3.7 GPA while working upwards of 50 hours a week in a fast paced and demanding corporate environment. Although I have not chosen this career to be acknowledged, it would be an absolute honor to be chosen to receive recognition for my hard work.