Carrying Her Legacy: Lessons from Sister Vicky by Julia

Carrying Her Legacy: Lessons from Sister Vicky by Julia - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

I still remember crying in the church office. When my father fell ill in the third grade, I found comfort in Sister Vicky. Sister Vicky escorted me out of class and sat with me while I explained the situation and my feelings, providing me with much-needed support and telling me that he would be okay. That day, in her office, we prayed for him, and thankfully, our prayers yielded results, leading to his recovery. However, she showed me a rare level of kindness, even providing my mom with money to travel to the hospital to visit my father.

I attended Catholic education classes growing up, where I met Sister Vicky. Despite not teaching a traditional school subject, she taught me more than any teacher about the importance of education and hard work.

Sister Vicky was a strict woman, often yelling at us and implementing detention if homework was unfinished. When I was about eight years old, Sister Vicky held us back in a group to finish our homework. She held us there until we finished the assignment, which at the time I despised her for. However, looking back, she taught me the importance of completing assignments instead of procrastinating, a lesson that has often helped me in high school.

She also believed in me in a way many others didn’t. Since I was little, I dreamed of being an engineer, and Sister Vicky was my biggest cheerleader. I would come to Sister Vicky with my dreams, and she would not only give me a speech about how hard work would pave the way for my dreams, but she also expressed her full belief in me and prayed for my success.

Now, about three years after her passing, I still carry the memories with me. I try to emulate her goodness in my actions and my behavior. She has inspired me to take on volunteering, which I try to do for a minimum of five hours per week, and to run my own nonprofit organization where I try to show the same support for other girls in STEM fields that she showed me. Fundamentally, she showed me the importance of a balance between passion, kindness, and discipline that I will forever carry with me.