Climbing My Mountain by Manal

Climbing My Mountain by Manal - October 2022 Scholarship Essay

I take my foot and place it on a steady ridge of the mountain-my high school degree. I reach my arm above me to elevate myself to a higher place, but I catch a glimpse below me to see my family, friends, and community waiting for me to either fall or make it to the top. I take an anxious gulp when I realize the immense pressure I have on me. I avert my mind and attempt to catch a peek at the top of the mountain. All I take in is what feels like an everlasting mountain, will I ever get to the top? I question myself.
I just began my journey pursuing my education as a freshman college majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Seminole State College of Florida. I have always viewed my path to education as a mountain. Every achievement is a means to get closer to the top: to succeed. I have been able to create a steady beginning for myself by graduating Sum Cum Laude with a weighted GPA of 4.2. I have always been an ambitious and determined student and plan to keep pushing myself through higher education to get my master's degree at the University of Central Florida. College for me is the chance to push myself more than ever by tackling challenging things and stepping out of my comfort zones. Being a part of organizations such as The Honors Society, H.O.P.E scholars, and Student Government Association allow me to establish new relationships and conquer new opportunities.
College can seem overwhelming with schoolwork, and social pressure, but mainly tuition. I am the eldest of four siblings and my parents have always stressed the importance of school. I have two hard-working parents that try their best to make our path to education as simple as possible, but with four children it would be very difficult for them to support all four of us. Trying to obtain a way to pay for classes, textbooks, labs, transportation, etc might have one stuck in the middle of the mountain. Might even be stressful enough to discourage one from taking their next step and just backing out. To win a scholarship would mean having a steady foothold till I am ready to climb forward. Not having to dwell on an aspect such as money allows me to keep pursuing my education- my mountain. With scholarship money, I would be given the opportunity to take any class I desire to reach my goal in life. I strongly believe finishing school is my only way to alter my fantasies to reality.

Throughout the beginning of my mountain climbing feat, I received support from my family, but as I start college I am left with limited resources and just my two feet and arms to climb. As the eldest daughter growing up in a South Asian household, I have experienced extra pressure to either reach the top or fall. I am always reminded that if I were to fall, there would only be people to feast on my descent and failure. However, this doesn’t manage to drag me down, it only motivates me to keep pushing up. I am currently attempting to move up on my mountain by applying for internships that would broaden my experience. I am shooting for either Lockheed Martin or NASA because I am very interested in the mechanisms of both weapons and aircraft.
Reaching the top of my mountain means being able to do something I am passionate about which for me is Formula one cars. As a young girl, I grew up watching races from around the world with teams such as AMG-Mercedes Petronas and Mclaren. I soon became fascinated with the unique build of these aerodynamic vehicles which sparked my interest in who was behind these creations. When it came time for me to decide my major this interest of mine pushed me into doing research on what exactly mechanical engineers do. One day I hope to have my own team of engineers behind the wheels of an innovative design.