How Meditating Helped Me Choose a Major by Carlee

How Meditating Helped Me Choose a Major by Carlee - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

I never imagined that taking a meditation class would encourage me to major in psychology.
After taking this course, I improved physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was happier, more empathetic, and motivated to overcome my challenges. A little meditation session is all it took to show me that help is available, even when we think we don’t need it. Because of my experience, I am passionate about changing the lives of other individuals to help them reach their potential.

I always had an interest in working with people. I wanted to do something that could benefit others. However, I needed help figuring out what that would be. I vividly remember watching a TED Talk in my meditation class about the effects of practicing meditation. I learned that it can preserve brain aging and health, especially in people who have mental disorders. Meditation is simple and has many benefits, yet it is so unknown. After watching this video, I wanted to share this knowledge with everyone. We all encounter stress or other challenges, and now I know a resource that can help.

I am a high school senior dedicated to using my education to impact the world. Additionally, I have done concurrent enrollment at my local college since ninth grade. Most people praise me for being smart enough for college classes but don’t compliment me for having the ability to get through them mentally. In our society, students are becoming more susceptible to mental health problems. We have higher portions of stress, anxiety, and depression. But I know that we can do things to change that, whether it benefits ourselves or others. I contacted an old friend and found out she was struggling. I made a small gesture by inviting her to do yoga with me because it is another way to calm the mind; I can also confirm that we both felt relaxed after a short session. Seeing that I could comfort my friend that day showed me what I could do for others someday.

Beyond my desire to assist people, I want to be able to have a connection with them. Last summer, I attended a leadership development camp (LDC) with the American Red Cross. Here, I gained the ability to work with and understand others on a higher level. In addition, I had the chance to participate in service projects, group discussions, and team-building exercises. LDC didn’t just provide me with a week of fun activities; it gave me new skills to use in the future.

It took a while to reach, but eventually, psychology was painted into the picture. In the past, I have asked myself: Why are we all so different yet very similar internally? In my junior year of high school, I wrote a research paper on the science behind behavior, answering my question. Furthermore, in my senior year, I wrote another research paper on how college students can benefit from meditating. I am not much of a writer, but I had an enjoyable experience writing these papers because I cared about the topics. This journey started with my interest in comprehending humans and their decision-making, and then I transitioned into exploring ways to support individuals. At this moment, I realized psychology was the right major for me. I am now taking a general psychology course and have never enjoyed a class or homework as much as this.

I have gone from meditating in class to learning how much psychology intrigues me. Not all of my inspiration came from learning meditation but from actually implementing this in my life. I saw changes in myself that helped me grow as an individual, and I want to aid others in achieving this growth as well. I dream of furthering my college education with a bachelor’s in psychology. From there, I want to get a master’s or doctorate that will allow me to work in the rehabilitation therapy field to restore health so people can live their best lives under any circumstance. Everyone deserves to be cared for by another; one day, I will be that person because of the meditation class I took in high school.