Small Job Big Payoff by Jaelyn

Small Job Big Payoff by Jaelyn - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

In the eerie midst of my freshman year, I found myself being called into a meeting with two of the school’s toughest teachers along with a few other students. As I entered the door, there was a room full of Sci Tech veterans, the students who have been here since 6th grade (I arrived in the 9th grade). Instantly, I thought they made a mistake; I was not as smart or charismatic as these guys! What am I doing here? I nervously sat down and I was introduced to the rest of the group of students. “I’m pleased to tell you guys that we choose you all to take part in our Prep Nine program this year. Here, you will helping incoming freshmen…” and, and, blah blah, muffling a groan, I tuned her spiel out and imagined myself sashaying into the school in front of one hundred students ranting about inaccurate information and losing precious summer vacation time. Thanks to my mother, I found myself back in my beloved school in the dog days of August. I was told that I would share my experiences in my freshman year, give advice, answer questions, and finally, give a tour; however, what I was not told was that I would be giving a tour to about 50 students by myself because out of all of the students invited to the meeting, only a fellow student and I arrived- and a fresh crew of 100 freshman. I surprised myself with all of the information I knew and how I did everything well.

Today, I am still doing activities with younger students in school as a junior, the only difference is that now I am fully aware of how capable I am of being a leader and a role model for younger people. Despite being chosen for more prestigious events such as meeting with our new district’s superintendent, I refer to this as the accomplishment I am most proud of because I realized my potential and capabilities as a role model. Not only did I come to a reality with myself, but I also realized that this is what my teachers noticed in me as a student. This has been the single most inspiring moment in my life so far and it has persuaded me to become a mentor and peer role model in high school and I would be beyond ecstatic to continue it, all because of this amazing opportunity.