Reasons for choosing my major
Several reasons influenced my choice of what to major in my professional life. Some of which include my background. I grew up in an African household where people exemplify medical career as the most successful profession. Being brought up in such kind of notion, I got convinced that my success would come from joining the medical profession and that has always been what I perceive to do. Another reason is that it has always been the wish of my mum to enter the profession, and she would study in the night after she left her full-time job. Her determination was evident, and it inspired me also to join the medical profession.
My love for children is also another factor that influenced my choice. I was brought up alone with no siblings. I only had the company of my mum. Seeing other children in the neighbourhood playing made me feel jealous and lonely. However, I would later join them for a company, and they become my good friends. Growing up alone made me invest in relationships with the children that transformed into my love for them as I grew up. Throughout my high school life, I spent time volunteering at my local churches particularly as a Sunday school teacher which I found much joy in working with the children. My love for them has been growing day in day out, and I have decided to join a career that allows my interaction with children. My dream job is to be a paediatrician and eventually start my practice. I believe becoming a paediatrician is not only appealing to my love for children but also is a model of success for my family and me.
Community service experience
For the past two years, my primary community service activity has been volunteering at my local churches as a Sunday school teacher as well as taking care of the kids. My love for children has always made me find joy in working closely with them as I teach them more about their faith.
The volunteering has been even more fulfilling as it provided me with an opportunity to learn different ways of handling children. Throughout my volunteering period, I encountered different circumstances which equipped me with necessary skills to manage children even better in future. I have learnt to handle them with love and care whenever I have an encounter with them having in mind this would be the only time the children would be getting it. Thanks to my local church that instilled the skills of handling children with love and care by enforcing this rule all along my service in the church.
I believe I have significantly impacted the lives of children that I encountered during my volunteer more so those who were facing abuse either verbally, physically or emotionally. It had never dwelled to me that children were suffering from abuse, but to my surprise, it is a global issue. Many of the kids I came across were facing neglect and emotional abuse from their families. They did not care enough to notice the children’s accomplishments, learn about their favourite hobbies or even show them affection regularly. Most of the families overlook such issues without the knowledge of how adversely they can affect the children throughout their lifetime. Although such concerns seem not to meet the conventional standards of what abuse looks like, they can be very detrimental by shattering their sense of security, social life as well as mental state. It was such a fruitful experience full of learning the importance of attentive care for children.
Challenges on my journey to college
I have always lived a pretty average life, and fortunately, I have not gone through any vast struggles or traumatic events on my journey to college. However, I have dealt with issues that most people experience in their lifetime.
Growing up in an Ethiopian household the importance of education has always been stressed. My family has always held me responsible for not only excelling in my studies but also toping in my class. However, that is not how the events turned out to be. I joined high school in Georgia, and this was the beginning of my tough times especially when trying to adjust to new cultures and the different standards of the people around me. Getting to a new environment made me want nothing more than to fit in and find a sense of belonging amongst my peers. I became so focused on being accepted that I lost sight of my priorities. That was the beginning of my troubles when my grades began to slip immensely. Fortunately enough I realised where I had gone wrong, and I spent the summer trying to regain control of my life and discipline myself to stay focused on what matters. I made a promise to myself that the upcoming school year would be better and that I would also change for the better.
Unfortunately, things did not go as I hoped and what followed was my worst academic year of life. I involved myself with toxic people and let my emotions get the best of me. I had to deal with the shame of frustrating myself as well as my family. In my final year, I made a conscious decision to do away with negative people who were not beneficial to me in any way. Luckily enough I was able to pull it together in this year and put my energy towards what was important. My grades shot up, I joined clubs, involved myself in community services and found marvellous people that changed my destiny. I always wish I could go back and change those times.
Plan to pay for my college
An enormous amount of funds is something that people always associate with a college or any form of higher education. The issue of how I will fund my college educations has always been a great concern for my family. Having been brought up by a single mum that tells you things would get tough without an early plan to pay for the college. More so my mum had incurred many costs while studying to get her nursing license while I grew up. The huge incurred cost in her education made her have loans and debts burden which she kept telling me would also affect the better part of my life. With all this in mind I had to come up with a plan that would work in funding my college studies.
Among the plans is to obtain a scholarship — many institutions of higher learning award billions of dollars for scholarships to people willing to join the institutions. However, most of these scholarships remain untouched because people are too lazy to work for them. Despite the tedious procedure for acquiring it, the pay is worth the hard work. Am therefore determined to do all it takes to make sure that I become one of the scholarship beneficiaries. That way I will have saved my entire family the struggles of funding my studies.
Another option would be the use of loans. Loans are among the part of most college financing plans. With access to loans, it makes it easier to pay for college. Although they do not reduce college cost because one has to repay, they provide one with an opportunity to learn and repay after employment. Ultimately my plan is to pay for school through the scholarships, financial aid and if absolutely necessary student loans.
Reasons why I should be selected for a Scholarship
There isn’t anything extraordinary about me that would make me the perfect candidate for the scholarship. However, something that has always set me apart from others is my incredibly strong work ethics and dedication to things that I am passionate. In my home of broken English and immigrant mentalities, America is the ultimate dream, a breeding ground of opportunity and the one place where anybody holds within them the chance to become anyone they want. I am convinced that this scholarship would change, for the better, my personal and family circumstances.
Over the years, I am a witness to my family’s overcoming obstacles, championing countless cultural barriers and working tirelessly to provide the very best for me in hopes that one day I will return the favour with my success. Hard work, persistence and dedication had never been an option for me but rather a standard that my family expects of me. The expectations have significantly shaped my discipline and made me a better worker. In college I plan to take advantage of every opportunity given to me and repay my family with success they need for me and that I want for myself. The reason I should be picked for this scholarship is because I would use it for all it’s worth.
Further, I have the dedication and commitment to improving the circumstances of my family and community at large. It is noteworthy that these are the virtues that have defined my life, and it is my prayer that this scholarship will be the launching pad to a better and brighter future. If given this scholarship, I promise to bring out the very best in me, and ultimately achieve my dreams.