Scholarship Application Essay

One of the first lessons I learned as a child was perseverance. Ever since I could remember I had a learning disability. I had a hard time with concepts, memorization, and concentration. So at a young age I was put into an I.E.P. (individualized learning program) for reading, writing, and math. Though with patience and hard work I persevered, I learned how to read and write near the end of fourth grade. By sixth grade, the beginning of junior high, I had one of the highest reading levels in the entire school of 6th, 7th, and 8th. Although I was able to graduate from the I.E.P. class for reading and writing in sixth grade, I still had trouble in math. Furthermore I later learned that the reason I could never concentrate very well was because I had a sleeping disorder called Apnea. Despite this I never gave up and now I am in a regular geometry class without any special benefits except the ability to use a calculator on any assignments, tests or quizzes.
After finally learning how to read, I found an exciting new world in books. I felt and still feel that a book opens a door that leads to a thrilling and enchanting world in which anything can happen. I want to be able to instill this exhilarating and wonderful feeling in other people. I am going to be a writer. This program will help me achieve this by teaching me leadership skills, and political, social, and community issues. Learning about these things will give me knowledge and experience so I can understand and better write about them. These seminars will also help me get the feel of what it is to be on a college campus. As a result I will be better prepared when I attend college.
I was involved in a world community service project in which the participants made and sent picture books to children in underdeveloped countries. This did and will continue to help children all over the world that are mentally disabled, have autism and are otherwise unwell.
I admire Cesar Chavez because like Martin Luther King he saw the injustices and inequality his race was being subjected to and set out to change it peacefully with unfailing patience, diligence and vision. Chavez felt racism first hand as a child when his family’s home was swindled from them by dirty businessmen, and when he was punished at school for speaking Spanish. Chavez also experienced migrant farm working personally when he could not attend high school and had to work on the farm. Unlike some people who would be bitter and brash about some of these incidents Chavez used them as initiative to learn about non-violent, strikes, unions and influential people like Gandhi. With this knowledge and his experiences growing up Chavez became a successful union leader wherein he fought for migrant workers and Mexican American rights until his death on April 23, 1993.
Among my personal accomplishment of overcoming a sleeping disorder, learning disability and graduating from the I.E.P. class are my high school accomplishments. I am currently in Avid a class which teaches about scholarships, college, the A.I.M.S., S.A.T., and A.C.T. and many other attributes that will successfully get you into and through a four year college. I am also in an AA English class which is a prep class for AP English (a college level class).Which I am planning to take my senior year. I have been in achievers club and am gaining job experience working in the school cafeteria at lunch. I am an enthusiastic reader and aspiring writer.