Scholarship Essay Entry – Kiara S.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world." It is these wise words that have motivated me to have a vision of the world I want to live in, and to strive to make it a reality.

I am entering my first year university, and I hope to eventually become a high school teacher. It is my goal to teach in alternative schools for people who have difficulties fitting in to a regular school setting or have issues in their life outside of school. I believe that everyone deserves an education, and I want to help and encourage people who may otherwise not get their high school diploma. I had a very positive high school experience, and I want to share that with others. High school opened many doors for me for my future, and I want to help others have those options to do what they love and become who they want to be.

Not only am I hoping to build a strong community through my career, but also through volunteering. I am already a very active member of my church, where I help run summer camps and play piano for a children's choir. It is so rewarding to work with the kids and to share in their enthusiasm. I love the responsibility and challenge of being a positive role model for these kids.

Besides my involvement in my school and church, I completely believe in the importance of giving my time to help those less fortunate in the community. I have in the past volunteered with various not-for profit organizations, and plan to continue doing this. For example, the sorts of experiences that come from working in a soup kitchen are so valuable and teach so much. Even though it is a somewhat small gesture, it is so easy to tell from people's faces that that gesture is making a difference in at least one person's life, and that alone makes it worth my time and fuels that desire to continue serving my community.

One of my long term goals is to go oversees to do grassroots social justice work. I have dreamed of doing this since I was in elementary school and had a teacher who had done one of these trips. Ideally, I hope to organize one of these trips for my high school students when I become a teacher, because I think the experience and the difference it would make would be priceless.

I have many ambitions, but I am not afraid to dream big, nor am I afraid to take those steps necessary to get me where I want to go. I have a vision for a future, and I will do my part to change the world for the better one step at a time.