Failure is a Chance to Learn by True

Failure is a Chance to Learn by True - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

At only 18 years old, I have made a LOT of mistakes, but without a doubt the biggest one is the way I handled my self-confidence issues and how that affected my academics.

Here’s my story…

If you'd told me when I was little that I would struggle as a teenager, I never would've believed you. As I got older, though, things changed: I got into arguments with friends, I started doing badly in school, and I didn’t smile or laugh as often. I didn’t understand why at the time, but as I look back I realize I was coming to terms with being gay. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but my peers didn't make it easy for me. I’m 6’5”, gay, and I play a sport guys don’t play in my small town: volleyball. I was absolutely an outsider.

Understandably, my self-confidence was awful. I just wanted to fit in. Anywhere. So I looked for that sense of belonging in the wrong places. The biggest mistake I’ve ever made is choosing “friends”. Because of them, I let myself become a victim of peer pressure and bullying. The choices I made when we were together led to problems in both school and at home. I cut classes, had issues with teachers, ignored any kind of schoolwork, and I lied to my parents constantly.

Of course this had a huge impact on how I did in school. Because I didn’t show up to so many classes, I ended barely passing some of them, and there were days I couldn’t stand to even be at school because of the horrible people I chose to hang out with. My failures at that school eventually helped me decide to transfer to a local alternative school, Innovative Connections. This was a very hard decision to make, but it’s made all the difference. My academic record is now something I can be proud of. My hard work has helped me earn a cumulative GPA of over 3.4, and I achieved a 4.0 for the first time on my last report card! I actually looked at that report card three times to make sure it was really mine! Who knows where I would be academically had all of this not happened. I understand now it’s okay to not do things the traditional way and to do things that work for me.

I’m also improving on a personal level. I feel stronger and more confident, and it’s because of the teachers at my current school. They have taught me not only to be a stronger student but also how important it is to be comfortable with yourself. That has given me that self-confidence I so desperately needed. Confidence is POWER-it’s given me the power to be myself, the power to say no, and the power to grow. All of this has led me to the power to be happy. I will be grateful forever for Cooper, Pineda, Bules, and Koderka-the four staff members at IConnect who literally helped me change my life.

As I mentioned earlier, I play volleyball. It is my absolute passion in life. During all those hard times, it was one bright spot for me, and I truly believe it helped me overcome many of my problems. I’ve learned that finding your passion in life can be profound, and that’s played a part in what I want to do with my career. When I was younger, I wasn’t sure what kind of job I wanted, but that has changed because of what I’ve learned from my experiences and the mistakes I’ve made. My ultimate goal is to own a volleyball club. I plan to major in sports management/ business administration to make that vision come true, and if I’m lucky enough to earn this scholarship, it would go directly towards paying for that. I’d love to provide a space for kids to come and feel the way I do when I’m playing. Not only do I want to teach them about volleyball though, I also want to teach them about the importance of empathy, confidence, and kindness, traits I could have benefited from, and traits we all need so badly. One of the best things to come out of my past is that I have become a very empathetic person. I want to share that with the kids at my club to help make it an empowering and safe space for everyone.

I’m actually very glad I made the mistakes I did because it’s truly helped me be the person I am today and who I want to be in the future.

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY