The Concussion That drowned My Grades by Shelby

The Concussion That drowned My Grades by Shelby - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

When I was four years old, I joined the local soccer association and have been playing soccer up until now, at age 17. I played all throughout high school and played every position on the field. During freshman year, our goalie suffered from a concussion which forced me into being the backup goalie for that game. It was the second half and my opponent was quickly dribbling towards me on a breakaway. As I bent down to save the ball from entering the net, my opponent's last attempt to kick the ball failed and she missed. Instead she kicked me in my left temple which left me dizzy and confused. I saved the ball and that's all that I was worrying about and I continued to play the rest the game in net, a decision that would haunt me for a lifetime.

After the game and the famous post-game lectures, I approached my coach to explain to her how I was feeling and what happened to me. She said that it was probably nothing but if I still felt like that the next day, I should go see the athletic physicians we have on campus. Unfortunately, I had to wait the entire weekend feeling groggy before I could speak with our staff. When I finally had the opportunity to get to the trainers, they made me retake a concussion test that I had taken in the beginning of the year. They compared my new score to my old score and concluded that I had received a concussion from the incident and there I was referred to Rothman Institute for them to help with my treatment and recovery. 

My concussion lasted from October 2013 to April 2014. During that time my grades dropped significantly and I was clawing to get by in my classes. I ended the year with a 3.0 GPA, my worst ever. Years after, I have worked hard to improve my grades and my GPA. I can proudly say that for the school year of 14-15, I ended with a GPA of 4.0. In the school year of 15-16, I ended with a GPA of 4.2. My cumulative GPA for all of my years in high school is now at a 3.72 and climbing. Through this experience, I have learned that I am capable of achieving whatever I set my heart out to do, and I am capable of overcoming any obstacle that stands in my way.