My name is Tara Caton, and I am a high school senior. I believe that hard work is the path to success, and I am determined to prove that it is true. Right after my junior year of high school, I enrolled as a dual-credit student at Bob Jones University. In the fall semester, I took three college classes, which included Principles of Accounting, Business Spreadsheets, and my first semester of Spanish. After successfully completing those, I took two more classes in the spring semester: English 102, and Drawing and Structural Representation. Having finished these courses, I have now earned 15 college credits. To be clear, taking these college classes on top of my high school workload was not easy. Long days of studying and the occasional headache were the only ways I made it through my accounting class, and hours of sitting on an uncomfortable bench with a pencil in my hand were essential to a successful art class. All this to say, it was worth it. The experience taught me that temporary pain leads to permanent growth. I look back upon this past year of study and smile to think that, when I started, I thought it was impossible. I never believed that I could produce a stunning piece of artwork, correct a balance sheet, become a Certified Microsoft Specialist, communicate with my friends in Spanish, or write an entire research paper on electric cars—but I did. Part of the reason I decided to take these dual-credit courses was to pursue a higher education, but the other motivation was financial. Let's face it: dual-credit courses are much cheaper than standard college tuition. Even though I am a hard worker, the overall cost of college is way too much for me or my family to handle alone, so I am working as hard as possible to earn scholarships. I can see that there are going to be hours of essay writing involved, but there is no better way to spend my time than putting forth effort for a brighter future. After college, I plan on becoming a professional artist and teaching others the skills it takes to create beautiful artwork. In addition to this, I plan to expand my entrepreneurship. I have already launched my own Etsy shop, (HowVeryGreatThouArt), featuring handmade jewelry, and I hope to grow it into a business with a wide range of art and handcrafted items. In closing, even though success requires a lot of effort, I believe that as long as you work toward your goals with a smile and a humble heart, you will succeed.