Scholarship Essay Entry – Nina V.

Can my dreams, ambitions, and visions make a difference in my community and the world? Of course they can! Everybody has the power to make a difference; the only question is whether or not they have the courage to make that difference. At the beginning of 2009 I decided that I would make a New Year's resolution - something that a lot of people do. I thought about it for about a week when I realized what I could do. Most people plan to lose weight or quit smoking, or something around those same lines, I decided that I would quit using plastic bags. Since January of 2009, I have not used a single plastic bag - and that is how I will make a difference in this world, by being environmentally friendly.

I have grown up in a home that has always been in favour of the environment. We recycle, use phosphate free soap and detergents, and shut off our electronics and lights when they are not in use. Everybody can help save the earth, even if it is in small ways. I'm attending college to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree and although I do not know what career path I am going to follow, I know that I will always try my hardest to raise awareness about the environment. Margaret Mead once said: "We won't have a society if we destroy the environment." I agree wholeheartedly, all the education in the world will not matter unless we have a world to live in.

This past month I convinced my dad to buy a Smart Car. My dad, who has driven a big truck his entire life, finally realized that looking "cool" is not as important as saving money and the environment. Our entire family drives the Smart Car and it is amazing the kind of looks that we receive. People cannot believe that we drive such a small car; they think that it is unrealistic and unsafe. They do not see past the exterior, which is small, but the gas mileage is better than most vehicles out there. I hope that by pursuing my academic goals it will help me to understand people better and make it possible for society to stop taking the planet for granted.