Inspiration by Jane

Inspiration by Jane - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

When I think of successful people, I think of Dr. Marks—a professor from my undergrad who I often turn to as a mentor. When I was first in his class, he asked each student to meet with him once or twice during the semester to check in. In those “chats,” I found that he asked piercing, thought-provoking questions and listened even more deeply. I could tell that he was really considering and thinking over everything I said, which made me feel a little nervous to represent myself well, but it also helped me to feel truly seen.

Even after I left his class, I would often shoot Dr. Marks an email asking if we could chat about some random passion project I was working on or just a general life question. I ended up meeting with him many times over the next few years. In our encounters, he often brought up his belief that I was a bright student with great potential and that, if I wanted to pursue it, graduate school could be a really worthwhile next step for me. I often left his classroom thinking that he saw more potential in me than I could see in myself. Rather than discouraging me, however, the dissonance in that feeling inspired me and made me want to be my best self and live up to that potential.

A year after I graduated from college, I realized that I wasn’t where I needed to be. I began considering grad school more carefully, and realized that I wanted to apply to a mental health counseling program. Dr. Marks was so pleased when I came to him to talk out my thoughts on that decision, and he again affirmed his belief that, though it would be a challenging experience, I was capable of taking it on and doing well. His confidence helped me find the courage to move forward with this plan, even though it has felt rather daunting at times. Now, I am here, beginning my program. Sometimes I look around and have a hard time believing that this is where I ended up. However, I feel strongly that this is truly the best place I could be right now and that I am now in a position to grow so much more as a person than if I had stayed where I was. Here, I feel that I can become my best self, and my future feels bright. Is there any success greater than inspiring someone to rise to the occasion and be better than they knew they could?