My Father and The Lessons He Taught Me by Denali

My Father and The Lessons He Taught Me by Denali - March 2021 Scholarship Essay

When one thinks of an academic role model, the most popular examples are people who are common household names, such as Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking, to name a few. People have always been inspired by people similar to them, whether it motivates them to discover new things about the world, or be more passionate in their own studies. Teachers and other students also help people be motivated to do well in school, and discover a passion they truly love. My most important academic role model has to be my own father, who has always inspired me to continue to do well in my academic studies. His own stories of achieving what he has always dreamed of ever since he was young gave me a personal example of following my own dreams no matter what other people say.
My dad’s dreams when he was my age were quite different from mine now, but they both are extremely similar. His goal was always to work for the WWE, the world-famous wrestling company that was called the WWF in his time. My father learned everything about the WWE, such as the wrestlers, their fights, and read as many books as he could about them. My goal, on the other hand, is to become a film score writer for Disney, because I fell in love with the animation and theme parks created by the company. He encouraged me to learn everything I could about Disney, and he even gave me some of his business books to soak up information about the world of business. I can still remember reading his copy of Disney War at age twelve, which was a book about exposing the business drama Disney had when Michael Eisner ran the company as CEO. This encouraged me to check out more Disney books at the library, and I have still retained the information I learned about working for the company.
Academically, my dad always performed extremely well; he knew the importance of getting exemplary grades in order to obtain his goals. He taught this lesson to me at an early age, right when I left the world of elementary school and entered middle school. Because of this early mindset, I was able to develop good habits when it came to my schoolwork, such as handing things in on time, and studying in advance for the upcoming tests and quizzes. In turn, I was able to receive the grades I needed in order to be accepted into two colleges, with more acceptances to come. When it came to choosing college to apply to, my dad emphasized how getting the major I wanted was more important than the sports teams and parties. Both of our college majors were rare majors, my dad getting a Sports Marketing major while I applied for a Music Theory and Composition major. This mindset helped me confidentially choose the colleges that I know will help me improve as a music composer.
After college, my dad received a lot of rejection from the WWE before nailing the job he wanted. He told me the story of how he crumpled up his rejection letters, but before he took out the trash, he rummaged through it and took the letters out. He still has these letters to this day; they’re all in our attic. He also made dozens of unreturned phone calls to the company. His persistence and refusal to give up paid off when there was a job opening, and WWE called him for an interview. I am aware that I might not immediately get a job at Disney, but my father’s story with WWE showed me that I shouldn’t give up if I don’t get the job right away. I learned that persistence is the key to getting what you want, not just sheer talent.
I admire my father in many ways. His stories of persistence, determination, and success showed me that I can achieve my goals as well. When I step foot onto Disney property on my first day as a film composer, I know I’ll have him to thank for helping me get there.