Never would they have imagined going to school let alone attending college but because of them I was able to attend school, graduate high school, and attend college. Because of them I had the amazing opportunity to be born in one of the greatest countries in the world and study to become anything or anyone I wanted to be. Because of them and with the help of the Clark Construction Field Scholarship I am able to pursue a degree in Special Elementary education with a minor in Human services and speech pathology and audiology. Without being awarded the scholarship for the past two years my parents and I wouldn’t be able to afford tuition and I wouldn 't be able to pursue a degree. I am not sure what the future may hold for me
According to Zinsser, "Along with economic pressure goes parental pressure.inevitably the two are deeply intertwined... Poor students, poor parents. They are caught in one of the oldest web of love and duty and guilt." (Zinsser 212) many college students when asked why they are in school will answer because my parents want me to. It has become a sad reality because college is no longer a choice was somewhat of an obligation.
I have paid for my entire tuition on my own with the help of loans, grants, scholarships, and paying out of pocket. The previous scholarships I have earned in high schools were the Viroqua Volleyball Scholarship and Judy Olson Follow Your Dreams Scholarship. During my sophomore year of college, I was awarded the Bob Walkoc Memorial Grant through the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association in Milwaukee, WI. Also, I was awarded the Pi Alpha Xi-Alpha Zeta Chapter Scholarship and the River Falls Garden Club Scholarship through the University of Wisconsin River Falls CAFES scholarship banquet. Ever since I was a sophomore in high school, I have consistently worked saving money to fund my tuition for college.
Although my grades were not always consistent, I never earned less than a B for a final grade in my English courses. Often my instructors privately told me that my papers were the best in the class and shared my work with others. My writing secured me a free trip to London and Paris with my business club as well as my acceptance into multiple colleges. I am certain my extracurricular activities, including cheerleading, volleyball, community service projects, fundraisers and employment also played a vital role in these accomplishments. Of all the schools to which I applied, only VSU waitlisted me probably because of my phobia about standardized examinations, which caused me not to perform as well as I should have on the SAT.
While I was thoroughly committed to the extracurricular activities, I have decided that my academic career was the best way to focus my abilities in order to reach my goal. Doing well in all of my IB classes has been my number one priority. With education being my number one priority, I strive to maintain a high grade point average. At the beginning of the junior year, I struggled with finding a manageable balance between all my activities. My GPA dropped due to my struggles in the beginning of the year.
One of my biggest supporters are my parents. Their support and conviction about the worth of acquiring an education has shaped my beliefs, values and ambition to continue higher education and use my career in a progressive way to give back to my community. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same support system like I did. Many of my peers struggled whether to continue their education or financially support their family. This is a very dangerous reality within the Latino community that needs to be addressed and resolved immediately.
Students in the criminal justice department are taught that our main objective in the justice system and our careers is to serve and also protect those involved in our community. For as long as I can remember, my goal in life has been to provide service by protecting and serving those who are close to me. My penchant for service is what eventually led me to the Criminal Justice program at Valdosta State University. This passion for service began at a very young age when my life was turned upside down when I relocated from Puerto Rico to the state of Georgia due to a tragic car accident that led to the end of my father’s life. This sudden change of lifestyle and heartbreak came with an extreme amount of struggle and culture shock not just
I am writing this statement to explain my undergrad GPA. While attending Norfolk State University my GPA dropped my sophomore year because of my involvement in our school band and dealing with stress from been away from home. My involvement in band took time away from my studies; once I realized this I stop participating in band and concentrated on my studies. As my transcript will show once I stopped band my GPA slowly raised to a 2.7. I reached this GPA by working hard in subjects that were difficult to me such as mathematics and working with my teachers pass the class.
Mine have simply taught me to appreciate the value in education. Since early childhood, they’ve strongly urged me to prioritize school above all else and to learn from their mistakes, not wanting me to struggle as they did. My father has made me realize the importance in pursuing a higher education—it’s the best way to truly be successful and be able to give my family the life they deserve. From my mother I’ve learned the significance of pursuing a career that I will truly enjoy, since it is presumably what I will spend the rest of my life doing. Thanks to my parents, not only have I been university-bound since I was a toddler, but I’ve also genuinely enjoyed learning.
In addition to that, food expenses, bills, and necessary living expenses became a burden for my parents to handle. Even though my parents masked it well, I knew that money was tight; and for me that was heartbreaking. Personally, the influx of rejections I received from peers for being foreign led me into a
My mother and father have always wanted the best for me, like all good parents do. One of the many things that they expect from me is to receive a college education, something that they never had the chance to do. My parents always advise me to not to make the same mistakes as they did, to go to college so I can get a good job and not have to struggle in my life. With no alternative, my father had to drop out of school to help his family financially after his parents had gotten a divorce, and then he had received his GED.
They instilled in my brain that education is the key for success and happiness, which has always made me try my best in all of my educational pursuits. I do this not only to show appreciation for what my parents have done for me, but for my own sake as well. I am fully aware that there are countless people all over the world that would give anything just to be able to be apart of this country. This gives me the motivation to always push myself to achieve the highest education possible and to go above and beyond to make something out of my
The only way to repay them for their sacrifices is to be successful in life. Many people are pressured to do well in school by their parents, teachers, and mentors. However, the burden is not as heavy if you come from a wealthy family. If you come from a lower class family and do not succeed in your education or career, then another generation of poverty begins and you have failed pay back your parents for their struggles of raising a child in the lower class.
Students often go to their parents for help while they study through college. As college tuition gets higher and student loans become more difficult to get, the harder it is for a college student to pay completely for their college. Students will go through obstacles down the road and their parents will be there for them. Whether it's financially, physically or just mentally preparing their kid for the
My high school is highly competitive and I’m grateful that I was surrounded by such wonderful peers and teachers. Completing high school, I received 12th place out of almost 450 students, with a weighted GPA of 4.244. Despite my hard course load,
