Am I the Only One? by Taylor

Am I the Only One? by Taylor - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

As I sit at my desk at camp, frustrated and overwhelmed I toss my mouse. ArcStart introduced an online software called Rhino 8 to create 3D models. I don’t know how to work the software. I sit back in my seat thinking to my self, “It looks like everyone else knows what they’re doing, am I the only one who’s confused?” I put my headphones on and go for a walk around the building. The frustration and anxiety of not completing my project on time was overwhelming me. When I return, I sit looking at the screen, still unsure on what to do. Trinity comes up behind me asking how my work is coming along as she looks at my laptop. I shrug— unsure how to respond. She walks off to help another student leaving me with the words ‘this looks great, if you have a question you can always ask.’ I look back at the screen and to the person next to me who is hard at work. Mine is nothing compared to hers.

The next day we return to the same project. I focus on drawing, refusing to get my self worked up again. My studio partners are focused on their 3D models. As I reposition my sketch paper I hear, “Do you know how to work this..” a studio mate. I don’t look over, continuing to focus on my drawing as she wasn’t speaking to me. Trinity comes up behind me asking how it’s going. I shrug again. “You know asking questions will help you more than working in silence” she said jokingly. That’s when I let it all out. All my frustrations, confusion and uncertainty about the program. She listened and left me with an ‘ok, I’ll do something about it”. Feeling as if I was still the only one not understanding the assignment, I carried on with my original task before we went to lunch.

Once we returned from lunch, Trinity called us over to make an announcement. We would have a class on how to use rhino. “Many of you are struggling so another studio instructor will give us a tutorial.” She looked to me and gave a small smile. Although what she did wasn’t just for me but it made me feel a little more comfortable asking questions the remainder of the camp. I realized I was not the only one, and asking questions won’t only help myself out but it may help out multiple people. Yes, I have heard that before, but being in a new environment— in a college setting, living in a dorm— really changed how I acted. Having someone like Trinity to openly encourage me multiple times to ask my questions, seeing I was struggling, helped me entering my senior year of high school. At the end of the program not only have I stayed in touch with Trinity as a mentor from time to time but I also received a studio award titled ‘Silent Successor’, reflecting my tendency to stay quiet all the time. Trinity helped me so much even if it was taking my mind off of work and onto something else to calm me down.