Navigating to Academic Success by Lucy

Navigating to Academic Success by Lucy - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I was young, I have always struggled a bit with learning. I remember I was devastated in 2nd grade when all of my friends made it into the “advanced” class that year and I did not. As a kid, I felt defeated and worthless. My thought process was if I did not make it into those classes I immediately failed not just myself, but my family and friends as well. As I grew up classes only got more difficult and challenged me more and more. Learning how to navigate these experiences have been one of the biggest lessons I have learned throughout my life so far.
Knowing school was not going to get any easier, I decided to work hard to overcome the challenges I was facing. My junior year of high school I decided to challenge myself by taking anatomy. I knew this class was going to be difficult and I heard all of my friends were taking it which made me want to take it even more. The start of the year was really good. I had success and I was really good about studying and being on top of all my work. As the year progressed the class got harder and I started getting overwhelmed. I felt myself crawling back into my old habits of feeling embarrassed and left out. My grades were starting to drop and I was staring to lose control again. I barely passed the third quarter. I let myself down and I had to do something about it. So during the 4th quarter of anatomy I stayed after school every single day with my teacher. She taught and explained the stuff we learned in class that day in a different way that was better for me to understand. I eventually got my spark back and worked my way up to passing the class with an A+. This was the highlight of my year. I made my family and friends proud and that is what mattered to me. I understand now the importance of putting in the effort and energy and what the outcome can be.
This has prepared me for my future in so many ways. I plan on attending Ashland University to continue my academic and athletic career. I know while playing volleyball in college, it will be a challenge to keep up with both school work and the wear and tear of being a student athlete. I now feel comfortable and confident to asses my grades and school work with future professors and lecturers. Going through my times of embarrassment and defeat have made me stronger and has been the reason I am in the place I am today. Going forward I am going to work hard in everything I do and bring my full 100% energy to all of my schooling. Most importantly I learned to give myself credit and to be true to myself and bringing my confidence into everything.