The past four or so months have been life changing for me. Coming into college I was hoping that I was going to make new friends, but I wasn't sure how I was going to. Being a Hixson scholar really opened things up for me. I found it so much easier for me to connect with people that have been through a lot as well. I've met some awesome people as a Hixson scholar, and I wouldn't have met some of them if it wasn't for it. Aside from being surrounded by great people, I've also grown into a somewhat more responsible adult. I've learned how to conserve on things like money and food, and I've come to find out that walking isn't so bad after all. Eating better has also come into my lifestyle, and quite honestly, the freshman fifteen doesn't have anything on me, yet. When it comes to academics, well, being a Hixson scholar has really made me focus when I thought I couldn't focus anymore. At times when I need inspiration when I'm studying or if I'm struggling to stay awake to finish a computer engineering lab, I tell myself "You were given an amazing opportunity, don't mess this up." That alone has helped me when I needed it the most in college.
I've learned a lot about myself since I moved here in August. I feel better about myself now that I have in years since I've been at Iowa State. The combination of being a Hixson Scholar, and engineering major, and just the fact that I go to college here at Iowa State University has shaped me for the better. I know in the long run that even though some of my choices haven't been the best, the combination of the ones that were good and bad have lead me to where I am today.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
What the Hixson Award Means To Me
If I could sum up what the Hixson Award means to me in two words, I would say "Almost Everything". When it comes to me, almost everything is a lot. When I would sit at my desk in my basement for long nights staring at the computer screen looking for scholarships, (a hobby I picked up after I quit computer games) I started to tell myself that I would just be another kid getting out of college with a huge plate of debt. I knew I deserved something, even if it was small.
I searched high and low for scholarships that weren't based on having a high GPA and test scores, because my real skills came naturally to me, and weren't able to be reflected in any of those two things. Late January came, and I finally found something. The Hixson Opportunity Award. I found out that it wasn't entirely merit based, and involved something that I had been through. A personal hardship. I found out the next day that there was another kid trying to get the same scholarship and I felt doomed. He was second in the class with a GPA that was unparalleled to mine, and he played all sports, was in every single club, and his mom was a teacher. My dad told me to just be myself, and that was exactly what I did.
I spent long hours writing and rewriting a summary of a part of my life that I view as not the typical high school experience that everyone enjoys. When I was done, I took a deep breath, and told myself that I deserved this. The following May, I was waiting for that letter that said either I had received the scholarship. I started to get discouraged, until one day. I woke up late for school because I was studying for a physics test. I got the mail out of the mailbox, and to no surprise the letter wasn't there. I threw the mail down on the China cabinet, and then I saw it. Peeking out from under a stack papers was a piece of an envelope with a seal on it. I read it, and my heart dropped. Crossing my fingers, and slowly tearing open the envelope, I pulled out the letter. I saw the word congratulations and I dropped the letter and jumped up and down so much that my mom thought someone was breaking into the house. She picked up the letter, and read, and instantly burst into tears and gave me a huge hug.
When I made it to school I walked into the Guidance counselors office, and one of them was already waiting for me by the door and told me how proud of me they were. To this very day, receiving that letter was one of the best days of my life, and I will always remember it in great detail. To this day I am eternally grateful that someone took the time to read about a hard time in my life, and acknowledge me for it.
I searched high and low for scholarships that weren't based on having a high GPA and test scores, because my real skills came naturally to me, and weren't able to be reflected in any of those two things. Late January came, and I finally found something. The Hixson Opportunity Award. I found out that it wasn't entirely merit based, and involved something that I had been through. A personal hardship. I found out the next day that there was another kid trying to get the same scholarship and I felt doomed. He was second in the class with a GPA that was unparalleled to mine, and he played all sports, was in every single club, and his mom was a teacher. My dad told me to just be myself, and that was exactly what I did.
I spent long hours writing and rewriting a summary of a part of my life that I view as not the typical high school experience that everyone enjoys. When I was done, I took a deep breath, and told myself that I deserved this. The following May, I was waiting for that letter that said either I had received the scholarship. I started to get discouraged, until one day. I woke up late for school because I was studying for a physics test. I got the mail out of the mailbox, and to no surprise the letter wasn't there. I threw the mail down on the China cabinet, and then I saw it. Peeking out from under a stack papers was a piece of an envelope with a seal on it. I read it, and my heart dropped. Crossing my fingers, and slowly tearing open the envelope, I pulled out the letter. I saw the word congratulations and I dropped the letter and jumped up and down so much that my mom thought someone was breaking into the house. She picked up the letter, and read, and instantly burst into tears and gave me a huge hug.
When I made it to school I walked into the Guidance counselors office, and one of them was already waiting for me by the door and told me how proud of me they were. To this very day, receiving that letter was one of the best days of my life, and I will always remember it in great detail. To this day I am eternally grateful that someone took the time to read about a hard time in my life, and acknowledge me for it.
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