J.D. Currin Memorial Scholarship

I started speech therapy when I was two years old and went through elementary school. While everyone else in my grade was graduating from the program but I never did, the only reason I quit going was because my school had gotten a new speech therapist when I was in fifth grade and she wasn't very nice. Growing up I knew I had a speech impediment, but I never knew how different I sounded than everyone else. I first began to realize how I sounded when I had to film a video project for my American History class and watched the videos over and heard my voice. I even asked my mom if I sounded different than normal in the videos and she told me that was how I always sounded. After this my speech impediment still didn't bother me until I was asked to be a game day captain for football season on my cheer team. I was already nervous to call cheers as it was out of my comfort zone. A girl on my team made fun of how I said score while calling a cheer, while she probably doesn't even remember this comment. It deeply affected me. After this I turned down being a game day captain for basketball season as I would dread and worry all day when I knew I would have to call cheers. During this time, I was working at an ice cream shop where I was asked every day ‘Where I was from?”and I would even have people try and argue with me that I was actually from a foreign country. This made me extremely self-conscious when I spoke, I would try and practice different sounds and pronounce different words and even think about going to speech thereby again to try and fix it. Now I have accepted that while I can make improvements in my speech, I can never change that I have a speech impediment. I have also realized that how I talk is something that makes me who I am. This year I am one of the captains on my team, while calling cheers does make me nervous still, I know that I have worked hard to become a captain, and I won't let my speech impediment hold me back. Even though I have a speech impediment I have accomplished a lot like making varsity cheer and becoming a captain, being involved in my school, working a job where I talk to customers, and making good grades and being at the top of my class, and being selected as a junior marshal. Having a speech impediment has also impacted my career choice. This past year, I decided that it wasn't for me, but I still wanted to work in health care. I found out about occupational therapy through one of my sister's friends. After this I began doing research about occupation therapy. This career matched everything I wanted in a career as it would allow me to help people overcome problems in their daily life like how I have done with my speech impediment. This career would also give me an opportunity to work with children with disabilities which is something that I deeply enjoy as I am a part of the Unify Club at my school. Through Unify I spend time with the special needs students in our school, this helps with their social interaction skills. You can tell it brightens their day and is something they look forward to.It has become one of my favorite times of day.

One of the largest adversities I have faced was trying to figure out how I would be able to afford college, and to be honest, I still haven't completely figured out how I will pay off college. To colleges, my household brings in plenty of funds, but that is not true, since most of those funds go towards debt created before I was even in school. Due to this, colleges don't provide me with any financial aid. It wasn't my parents' fault either; they were taken advantage of by loan sharks who knew they were young and unknowledgeable about debt. But I will not let this stop me; I will use this wall as a stepping stone. I will overcome this hurdle by putting my head down and working, continuing to focus on strong academics, and also applying to as many scholarships as I can. I will also continue taking and doing well in my free Randolph Community College classes that will allow me to graduate early. When I enter college, I will push myself and stay focused on my studies to earn merit-based scholarships that will cover parts of my tuition. By doing all of this, I will be able to pay to further my education without falling into large amounts of debt.

“No one knows what curves life will throw at you, but if the driver has the courage to create his own conditions, then the rain is simply rain.” This quote from The Art of Racing in the Rain encapsulates adversity and shows how, with a bit of courage, you can overcome the obstacles and challenges life presents. Adversity can appear in unexpected ways, shaping who we become long before we recognize its impact. For me, it began with a speech impediment that made even simple conversations feel intimidating. However, I chose to face adversity with a positive mindset, allowing me to overcome it, leading to significant growth in my personality and character. Growing up, I had a speech impediment, which affected my educational and social opportunities, as I was often anxious to speak to other people or ask questions out of fear of being made fun of. This made me shy for many years throughout elementary school. Despite this, I began taking speech classes at school, where we worked on my speaking and pronunciation of various letters. This was a long process, which at the time I despised as I felt like the odd person out, leaving class each day. However, the results were worth the discomfort, as I began to speak more concisely and with greater clarity. I started to feel more confident speaking, which made me more extroverted and willing to talk to new people. Each day, I still have to work inwardly on my speech and focus on slowing down when I talk to avoid stumbling, slurring, or stuttering. However, the progress in my speaking abilities from my timid, shy self in the beginning of kindergarten to the outgoing, extroverted leader I am today is exponential. Once I began learning to speak concisely and confidently, I was able to join various groups, such as the children's worship team at my church, where we performed plays and skits. This was another way for me to become more confident in my public speaking craft. In the present day, I am able to apply those lessons, plays, and skits to various clubs, teams, church events, and other extracurricular activities. For example, I serve as the Co-President of the Fellowship of Christian Students, a club that meets each week to grow in fellowship and in our relationships with Christ. By serving as a leader of this club, I can speak to members struggling with challenges in their lives and guide the club toward growth and increased membership. In addition, I have spoken at the club several times, as well as at my church, teaching Bible lessons and sermons. Another way I have become a public speaker and a leader is by serving through my youth band and planning and leading student worship nights. In my youth band, I help lead worship every week, guide many members as they grow in their craft, and play drums and sing. These clubs are just a few examples of the opportunities I have been blessed with to serve as a leader and speaker. Overall, if you knew me in those early years of my life, the kid who would stand on the edge of the playground, afraid to talk to new people, you would never expect me to become who I am today. A public speaker, leader, and outgoing encourager who wants to help those around me grow and beat adversity, such as the speech impediment I learned to face and overcome. Looking forward, I want to continue growing by serving others and encouraging them to face adversity with the same positive attitude.

Learning from our small failures is crucial for personal growth. Life throws a lot of challenges our way, and it’s up to us to turn those moments into something positive. One small failure I faced was when I took the test for my driver's permit. When I found out I didn’t pass, I was totally crushed—especially since I missed it by just one question. At first, it felt like a huge setback, but I realized it was just a minor bump on the road to getting my permit. After I calmed down, I took a step back and decided to hit the books even harder. I learned that what I get out of anything—whether it’s sports, friendships, or school—depends on how much I’m willing to put in. You can’t expect great results if you’re not ready to invest your time and effort. I had a week before I could retake the test, so I dedicated that time to studying, and when the day of the retest came, I was ready. I finally passed and got my driver's permit! This small failure taught me several important lessons. First, I learned that perseverance is key—setbacks are just chances to bounce back. I also realized that having a growth mindset is huge; it’s all about looking at challenges as learning experiences instead of failures. Lastly, I realized how important it is to stay focused and keep a positive energy, even when things do not go as planned. Every experience shapes who I am striving to become.

Growing up, I was the type of kid that would do anything to stay out of the spotlight. The slightest bit of attention would draw me back into the shadows. One of my biggest forms of escaping the light was with a single piece of paper. Blank sheets were my favourite things, they gave me full control to dive deep into my imagination. My mom was often asleep during the day from her third shifts, so it gave me company. I was under the impression that as long as I had my drawings, I would never be alone, and that's how I planned to be for the rest of my life. I was good on my own now, so why would I need anyone else? The plan was sailing smoothly until l received a compliment from a classmate. It was something simple as "You draw so well!", but it meant the world to me. It meant so much that I drew them something immediately as a thank you. Seeing the way their eyes lit up to my gesture sparked a tiny. yet important, flame in me. I wanted to be able to make others smile like this, and who knew it could be achieved with just a piece of paper? I had wasted so much time avoiding others that I never realized the impact I could make. That interaction has stuck with me to this day, and since then, I have joined all sorts of volunteering organizations, as well as thrown my artwork out there for everyone to see. I want to make everyone around me feel the way my class mate did eleven years ago, and I will continue to find ways to do so. This scholarship will be a brick to the home I am trying to build for others to feel comfortable in, to help others come into the light the way I did.