How many students my age have blogs that are read in mass? I’m suspecting that not many do, but that’s how wonderful and unique this position is. I have the honor of sharing my first year college experience with people all across the country. I have the pleasure of partnering with an organization that seeks to obtain such a noble goal of pushing for more diversity within colleges all across the country. I’m in a family of scholars who are passionate about spreading the gospel of higher education and I am blessed with the ability to share my triumphs, my struggles, and my wisdom with you. My goal is to not only to offer advice about the procedual steps on how to get to college, because that type of information is readily available, but to also discuss the mindset of a successful college student, a subject that is hardly talked about enough. There are certain intangible qualities that separate the mediocre or pedestrian students from the elite. Qualities such as being a visionary or a leader are not measured through GPA or ACT scores; they come from within and are invaluable as you make that transition from high school to college.
One of my first blogs was about having vision for the long term-It’s a game of chess-but since most of you are making final decisions about which school to apply for or what scholarships to seek out, I feels it’s important to seize on quality opportunities that fall your way.
Looking back I find it quite humorous that I almost passed up the opportunity to blog about my first year experience. I remember receiving an e-mail from Miami University advertising an open position for students to gain scholarship money and blog about their college experience. I couldn’t see myself in such a position and I did not consider my skills worthy enough for it. I at first paid little attention to it and I must admit that I turned in my application at the last moment. I mailed it and forgot about it until weeks later when I was asked to move onto the next step and finally I received the phone call that truly changed the way I saw myself. I remember getting the call and conversing with a CSO administrator about the amount of applicants that applied for the position. To my dismay roughly 1,000 students from across the country applied and I was one of ten students chosen. The odds had a profound effect on me. Out of hundreds of applications someone saw me and found me noteworthy enough to standout from the pack. My talents where showcased through my writing and that is how I am able to have this position.
So what does this have to do with you or your experience? I share my story because I came so close to not having it. I doubted myself and I doubted my abilities, and the worse thing to do during the scholarship or college application process is to lower standards or expectations out of fear. Have faith in your ability to convey your intelligence, experiences and ideas in an essay or even in an interview. Be bold in the opportunities that you seek because those will enrich your life well beyond just college. I am asking you to expand past the known capabilities, as ambiguous as that sounds, so when the opportunity presents itself just like it did for me, you will know when to act.
There is no college or scholarship that is out of reach. The first critical step is to have faith in yourself and the rest will come.