Scholarship Institute Future Leaders Scholarship

A leader sets the bar. Those who lead have a gift to go beyond ordinary measures. Leaders are exceptional. They don't just go to college, but they are the first person in their family to go to college. Or they are the first in their family to graduate debt-free. Leaders inspire others to challenge themselves. I have set the bar before. I have always been headstrong, so when I set my mind on being able to drive, all it took was a plan and just a few months short of a year. In my junior year of high school, I set out to get my driver's license. I had no background knowledge on what it took to get a license. So I asked my friend's parents and researched it on my own. Shortly after, I signed up for Aceable, an online driving program. I managed to pay for the $80 membership with all I could scrounge up and got my license. I noticed my 20-year-old and 19-year-old brothers following the lead of their 16-year-old sister. Not long after I got a job and began saving for a car, my brothers took notice once again. After about 6 months of pulling shots, steaming milk, and blending frappuccinos at Starbucks, I saved $5,000. Finally, after working long Summer days and taking many Lyft rides, I bought my first car, a beautiful rich blue 2012 Ford Focus. Which lead my brothers to get their licenses and begin to save up for themselves. Although it makes a great story now, leading is a strenuous task. It tests your perseverance. You've got eyes looking at you in admiration, even when you want to call it quits. At times when I wanted to throw in the towel, those eyes reminded me that I had so much to prove. Not just to myself, but for my brothers to see what started as a will made a way. So they could do the same for themselves. What I learned from my brief leading moment at 16 showed me that it takes one person to elevate so that others will follow. Beyond my high school and college education, I plan to always be a leader for myself. I want to continuously challenge the standard of what it is to be remarkable. Not just in my future career but my personal life and faith as well. I strive to become a better daughter, friend, and Christian. So I'll continue to be a leader to others, starting with myself.