I believe that I am the right student to be awarded the ______________ Scholarship because of my passion for athletics, my academic achievements, my participation in school extracurriculars, and my community service. If selected for this scholarship, I will use it to contribute to the betterment of society through athletics and health science by pursuing a career in the field of kinesiology which would allow me to combine my love for athletics and assisting people in need into a lifelong career.
Athletics has shaped me into someone who is competitive, determined, and who never gives up the good fight. Through athletics, I have learned the value of teamwork, leadership, and personal commitment. Throughout my four years as a member of the varsity soccer team, track team, and captain of the cross-country team, I have been blessed with the exhilaration that comes with the triumph of winning and the gut-wrenching sadness of losing. But through it all comes understanding the benefits of teamwork; many individuals working together to achieve a common goal. Whether that is simply coordinating a defense to prevent the opposing team from scoring points or competing at the highest levels with everything on the line, only cooperation and perseverance will lead to victory. Sometimes though, even when a team is cohesive, things do not work out and we fall short., It is in these moments that being a leader counts the most as we lick our wounds, learn to accept the loss and try to grow from it. As team captain it is my responsibility keep us from dwelling on the loss, pick up the pieces, and rally my team. Being the leader, I also have to help others reach their full potential by encouraging them to develop their skills through practice and repetition, instill in them the fire to strive for personal excellence and drive them to push through the mental barriers that impede growth. When we all do these things as individuals, we can come together to maximize the potential for success and clear the path to victory.
Academics have not always come easy to me and quite honestly have been very challenging at times, however, my inner drive helped me to persevere and chip away at those obstacles that sometimes seemed insurmountable. In fact, in the pursuit of excellence, I have pushed myself beyond my academic comfort zone by taking an AP Statistics class, which is a college level course offered through the University of Texas. Intimidating as it was, with late night studying and early morning tutoring, I did succeed in passing the class. Through that experience I gained self-confidence and proved to myself that I am indeed a capable and disciplined student who is prepared to enter college and succeed! Without a doubt, I have come a long way from the high school freshman I was four years ago, as I would never have imagined to be doing college level coursework before even starting college.
Speaking of my freshman year, when I first came to high school, I did not really have any consideration of making an impact in my community. However, as I was maturing both physically and mentally, and participating in team sports, I gained perspective on what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself and developed and in doing things for the betterment of my community and society as a whole. This led to me becoming a member in organizations such as HOSA, Interact Club, Mathematics Club, and the Chick-Fil-A Leader Academy. One of my favorite projects I was involved with was fundraising for St. Jude’s Ranch because we got to give Christmas gifts to the children. The time and effort to make the gifts was well worth it as the joy it brought to both me and the kids was beyond comparison. Participation in these activities such as this has brought me genuine happiness because I feel that I am actually making a difference in someone’s life and having a real impact in my community. All in all, community service is something that I will always be part of and I believe it has molded me for the better by instilling the qualities of generosity, empathy, and altruism in the fiber of my being.
In conclusion, being selected for this scholarship award would be a great honor and would provide me with much needed financial assistance to help me achieve my dream of becoming a physical rehabilitation specialist. I know I would be excellent in my field as I could relate and empathize with my patients as I myself have suffered from sports injuries. I would be also be dedicated to their quick recovery and overall wellbeing since I am aware of the mental anguish an athlete goes through when you can’t do what you love to do the most. And lastly, I would strive to be generous with my time and knowledge within the community by sharing my knowledge and giving advice to coaches and trainers involved in kid-oriented athletic organizations such as little league and pee wee, which I believe make society a little better by encouraging children to participate sports.
