Finding Ambition by DeVante

Finding Ambition by DeVante - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

I got up early that morning as the sun was coming up in Houston and I entered Guy M. Sconzo Early College for the very first time, and there was this feeling of joy and nervousness all at once. The smell of students talking and meeting each other for the first time, the sound of people walking along the corridors and the smell of new books was quite unrealistic after the two years of isolation.

Getting back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic was like getting into a world that was the same but not the same at all. It was as if the weight of the past two years rested on my shoulders but at the same time, I felt a sense of renewal as if this was the beginning of something new. At the beginning of my high school career, I understood that it was not enough just to enroll in this school. Two years of online learning had taken away the organization and the interaction with peers that used to be there in school. Getting back into the classroom meant having to deal with the issue of rebuilding those relationships and adapting to the schedule of face-to-face learning. To be a part of an early college program was a major change and a great opportunity for me. It made me get a head start with the college credits and also helped me understand the expectations of college. It was difficult to manage the school work and the college courses at the same time but I engaged in the challenge, improved on time management, and proved to myself that I could face any challenge.