Having a father as a high school social studies teacher made me promise I would never love history. Growing up, my father often provided plenty of historical knowledge for his family to enjoy. Much to my dismay, this meant traveling to historical landmarks during vacations. My brothers and I would groan when my father began to hum to himself and pack the car eagerly – we all knew this wasn’t a trip to Disney World. Throughout my lifetime, I’ve been to more historical sites than I can count, and have amassed a collection of the “historical figures” cards given at historical landmarks. Documentaries were another pastime in the household, though most were notoriously boring. The most infamous among the family was a show called Nazi Mega Weapons, describing different attack methods and engineering techniques used by the German army. The title certainly sounds enticing, but that was all the show had to offer. Altogether, entering high school, I was prepared to take the minimum amount of history classes that I could to stay far away from the subject. My father, however, had other plans. He encouraged me to take two courses that he taught: AP Human Geography and AP United States History. Coming into each of them, I had already convinced myself that both would be dull and I would gain nothing from the classes. A drastic turning point came during a memorable day in AP United States History. Around Christmastime, my father hosted a “Historical Ornament” contest in his classroom, featuring a festive decoration that explained a topic from class. I made a clay ornament titled “A Compromised Christmas” made out of clay. Ironically, a Henry “Clay” minifigure was constructed to compromise between a Christmas with or without snow in my ornament. The ornament symbolically depicted the bargaining made by Henry Clay to preserve the Union before the Civil War broke out. Although my ornament didn’t win the contest, I found immense joy in the creativity I could use to represent history. No longer was history a plaque on a landmark sign, or a repetitive documentary with a flashy title, but it was a subject in which I could make elaborate connections. I’ve continued my newfound love for history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double majoring in Political Science and History. Currently involved in the Undergraduate Law Association at Carolina, I am responsible for networking with members of the community who have a background in the legal field. This upcoming semester, I hope to join the newly created MOOT Court Team to debate in mock legal trials with other schools. Furthermore, I am in the History Undergraduate Association and work to advance my historical perspective through this club. Altogether, both clubs help to strengthen my love for History as I hope to advance towards Law. I plan to couple my passion for history with my love for volunteering. Currently, I contribute to my community church by helping out with the food pantry, live streaming the church service, and serving in community-oriented events. I hope to use my involvement in history-related clubs to give back to my community and help others. The route I’ve taken towards loving history certainly hasn’t been a traditional one. Although I hated my father’s excitement for the subject, he has shown me that the past is indeed relevant – as it can be used to impact my own future. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship to impact my historical journey.

Awards too often validate success. Paper, plastic trophies, or public announcements are hailed as a crowning achievement of victory. However, true success doesn’t have to mean breaking every record or being the best of the best. It simply means forging a meaningful identity in the unique journey to your goals. Society’s skewed definition standardizes victory by the accomplishments we can’t attain. On social media, it’s easy to encounter a fitness influencer who just broke his bench press record. Or a video will come up in my feed about Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl Champion. While I often compare achievements of those I don’t know to myself, comparisons in closer relationships are the most damaging to my definition of success. I have a twin brother and we have done a lot of the things in our life together. Growing up with him gave me a constant companion I could rely on, but it also made it difficult for only one of us to receive recognition for an accomplishment. If my twin is praised, I neglect my achievements to dwell on his success. Unfortunately, my definition of victory has changed to mean simply: beating my twin brother. Rather than helping each other, we often strive to one-up the other. This competition peaked during senior year scholarship applications, as both he and I applied to as many scholarships as possible. It became a game to achieve goals simply to “resume-stack” rather than to enjoy activities like volunteering or sports. And when my twin brother won two large scholarships that I did not, I felt like I didn’t deserve the money I had won. This sentiment wasn’t true – I had previously been extremely proud of myself because of the hard work I put in to receive an Elks Foundation Scholarship. In moments like these, I had to take a step back and truly evaluate whether the value of my hard work was rewarding. I needed to be comfortable with my achievements instead of hating my brother for his success. Thus, in my first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I focused on pursuing my interests independently. When my brother informed me of his decision to apply for the business school at the University, I questioned if I truly wanted to do business. I didn’t enjoy the idea of going into the business program, particularly because I had no interest in the classes. Even though the business school is quite prestigious at Chapel Hill, and we have a good friend in the program, I told him that I didn’t want to apply. Instead, I am currently a Political Science and History double-major at the school, planning to go into Law following my undergraduate studies. It certainly was difficult to make a decision that seemed to put us on different paths, especially because we’ve done everything together for so long. However, I want to make sure that I am unique in my decisions to find my own outcome of success. As I’ve learned about competition with my twin brother, or by scrolling through social media, it’s not all about the prestige. Winning this scholarship would help alleviate the financial burdens of an undergraduate degree, challenging me to excel as a Political Science and History double major. In my extracurricular activities, the money would help to support me on my ambitious journey to Law. I am currently a member of the Undergraduate Law Association at Carolina, and winning this scholarship would finance my endeavors as I seek to travel and participate in MOOT Court Trials with other Universities. Furthermore, this scholarship would support me in my volunteering, allowing me to give back to my community. Firstly, the money would encourage me to join the gardening club at Chapel Hill this semester and expand efforts to feed the community. It would also help me as I seek to spread ministry on campus through Cru, a Christian organization at UNC. I currently serve on the Grow team, responsible for planning and executing events for the club. The money would support me through all of these volunteering efforts and expand them as I step into leadership roles. Eventually, I plan to use my ambitions of Law as a platform to advocate for justice to help everyone navigate their own path. This scholarship would mean more than just funding my education. As a lawyer, I hope to teach others my definition of success: embracing their own pathway toward a goal. By redefining victory, I’ve learned the best part of an accomplishment is not the award itself or meaningless comparisons to gauge success. True satisfaction comes from the hard work put in and the journey taken to find yourself along the way. Thank you for the opportunity to apply and carve my own path toward success.

If I had to pinpoint one singular reason for my success, it would be my unwavering determination to never give up. At Oak Grove High School, I made it a point to make a name for myself -- besides the last name Lodle that my father (a high school history teacher at the school) held. I immersed myself in eight AP courses at the school, made it a point to join five extracurricular activities, and gave back to my community through food drives and outreach events at my church. I also involved myself in four sports at the school and worked towards success in each. Several AP courses and clubs I was involved in at Oak Grove set me up for success at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During my first year, I made it a goal to attend law school after college. AP Government and Politics and AP United States History introduced me to fundamental law concepts and gave me a historical background. Furthermore, my involvement in the Model United Nations club during high school introduced me to debate as I worked to solve real world issues. The club encouraged me to explore trial procedures after high school. I continue to work towards my goal of attending law school by majoring in both Political Science and History, achieving As in all my classes during my first year. On the side, I have explored several online law courses, including modules offered through Harvard University and The University of Pennsylvania Law School. Finally, I joined the Undergraduate Law Association at Carolina to reach out to law professionals in Chapel Hill and network with other prospective law students. I hope to join the MOOT Court Branch of the club this upcoming semester to get experience with trial procedures and debate against other schools. Aside from law, I continue to work hard to achieve my goals. In my first year of college, I was a lifeguard and swim instructor on my campus. Throughout the year, I was promoted to Head Swim Instructor to offer swim lessons to participants in the Chapel Hill community. This opportunity has been extremely important to me because it allows me to give back to my community while teaching a skill I have loved for a lifetime. Furthermore, I participated in the religious club Cru my first semester to grow my faith and encourage others. I will serve on the Grow team, a leadership position for outreach, this next semester. Finally, I was involved in the History Undergraduate Association to explore my love for history and work alongside other history major students. I continue to volunteer for my church during the summer and have become a crucial part of live-streaming worship services on YouTube every Sunday when I attend. I am also responsible for helping with the church’s community-oriented events. To give back to my community during the school year, I plan to volunteer in a gardening organization I have been interested in. Currently, during the summer, I serve as Assistant Manager for the City of Winston-Salem Pools and work as a Culver’s cashier. Both these positions have helped me to communicate with others and grow my leadership experience. Success does not come easy, but my hard work has prepared the best possible chances for me. I believe I am deserving of this scholarship because of my readiness to engage with a challenge, no matter how drastic it may seem. Using my dedication, this scholarship would help me push towards and achieve my ambitious goal of attending law school. Thank you for the opportunity to apply!

Walking through the halls on the first day of high school was not easy. It was my first day at Oak Grove High School, and already I was a new student. Coming in from a Forsyth County K-8 charter school, it almost seemed like I was an alien entering a foreign world. I couldn’t imagine my day getting worse as I walked to World History class, but it somehow did, as I passed my father down the Oak Grove High School History hallway. Students often remark how cool it would be to have a parent as a teacher at the school, or how I must have been lucky when I was in his AP United States History class, or his AP Human Geography class. What my peers don’t realize, however, is the lifestyle at home: constant reminders of homework and pressure to get my work done. On top of all this, however, Mr. Lodle tends to arrive there a little earlier than most in the mornings. And so here I have been, waking up at 6:00 in the morning, and arriving at school a little after 6:40 most days. My father’s obsession with order doesn’t stop there and wears formal clothes to work every day, even for a teacher. This reached a peak when Mr. Lodle realized he wasn’t wearing matching shoes to school one day accidentally, which involved a trip back to the house just to get a new pair of shoes. The challenges that I have had to face while attending Oak Grove High School have certainly been compensated by the rewards I have gotten from a little outside motivation. I would have never joined the five clubs I am involved in without the pressure of my father or played on the four sports teams that I competed on in high school. I would not have taken eight AP classes throughout my time in high school, and I would not have been Junior Marshal following my junior year for a top ten class rank. However, the point of this essay isn’t to focus on how my father has dragged me through every single activity and gotten me involved in every single club, because he hasn’t. Although at first, it seemed difficult as the new kid at Oak Grove High School to exemplify leadership and try new things, my father only pushed me out of my comfort zone. He did not complete my work for me or tell me that I had to join a club or a sport. That’s what most students get wrong. My father doesn’t do the work for me, he has merely made me a better student, athlete, and club member. I could take credit for all these challenges that I pushed through, but I wouldn’t be the same person I am today without the challenges to guide me to be the best version of myself. My first AP classes were my father’s classes and driven to succeed, I took six more AP classes, earning the “AP Scholar with Honor” award. My father first encouraged me to join a history club, Model United Nations, but my passion for determination drove me to seek out the four other clubs I participate in, and the Vice President and Historian roles in two of my clubs. Being the new kid, especially Mr. Lodle’s kid, was certainly hard because of the name recognition. However, the adversity of the challenges that lay in front of me allowed me to succeed, and make a name for myself far beyond having the same last name as that history teacher.

The doorbell rings with a loud chime, and I run out to the front porch. On the stairs, a box that reads "Handle with caution" lays. I push the box inside, and furiously open it up, tearing apart at the Amazon tape that never seems to come open when you want it to. Heart pounding, I venture further inside the box and find it. The microscope that I ordered, waiting to be assembled and shining as bright as my eyes. I quickly put it together, run outside, and look up at the sky. The only problem? It was the middle of the day! Even from a young age, I was captivated by the natural world and all that the universe has to offer. I remember waiting desperately for the night to fall, looking outside every five seconds and wondering why it was taking so long for the daylight to end. When the day finally ended, I rushed outside and gazed longingly at the night sky. Sitting outside on the porch, with just the company of nature and the quiet rustle of the wind sent a feeling of exhilaration throughout my body. The curiosity of human nature has unlocked the potential to solve some of the world's biggest problems-- some of which are still unsolved after the progression of society. So much of the world lies a mystery even after thousands of years of exploration. The world's oceans still have uncharted territory that is yet to be explored, and new information is being found about the galaxy as I write this essay. Understanding the natural world has always been a goal of humanity, but we have never truly met this achievement, and have taken millions of years trying to understand the past, present and future. Why do we work so diligently to find the answers to life's mysteries? We have created a whole system of occupations encompassed around learning more about our surroundings and how we can tackle the problems that the world presents. The curiosities of the natural world all relate to me because I am part of the next generation to explore these concepts. I have taken a variety of AP classes that challenge me to think outside of the box. While it's true the work in these classes can be difficult at times, I have found myself applying the knowledge I learn in these classes to my everyday life. But the problem is, the curiosities of the natural world are threatened by the same species who seek to explore them. Deforestation, climate change, habitat loss, mining, and housing development all threaten to tear down the natural world that we have worked so diligently to create. And in the process of upward mobility and development of society, mass destruction has come with the skyrocket in population growth. While we marvel at skyscrapers and the infrastructure that amasses itself in front of us, we threaten not only other species but also our own. Since the Industrial Revolution, cities have become a normality and theme of production and growth. I believe the biggest theme I have sought since the American education system was first introduced to me was the theme of how to correct this problem. Turn on the nightly news, and the natural world is being deceived before our very eyes. But the problem is, does sitting in a classroom provoke the thought and idea that is necessary for reversing these problems? The bane of society's existence is the issues that we have created-- they are very much self-made and irreversible if change and action are not promoted. The best answer to the question is that in essence, memorizing facts about the United States Constitution and cramming to learn what the powerhouse of the cell is will not promote active change throughout the globe. So, if I seek to benefit nothing from the education provided, does this scholarship give me the means to promote change? What good will it do if I type this essay, and return to further the problems proposed? The answer is by understanding the nature of the universe, how it functions, and the idea that I can make a difference in the world. By understanding the nature of our universe, and understanding just how vast it is, I can seek to promote change. I challenge myself in all of my classes to see the bigger picture (no pun intended) in all of the concepts that I am learning. To actively take a concept, and connect it to the current reality of the United States, and the world. By doing this, I am and hope to continue employing concepts from my classes and education to promote making a difference. And I believe that some of the best ways that change has been stimulated are through discussion and debate. Debates have allowed me to see the opposing sides of viewpoints and promote conversation about real-world issues. I am currently involved in a club in my high school known as Model United Nations, which simulates the United Nations conferences. This club works to solve real-world problems and pass resolutions to attempt to fix conflicts blown out of proportion. Through these discussions, I am appalled by opposing viewpoints at times. This debate represents a prime example of how I have been stimulated to make a change. I plan to participate in a similar activity in college, discussing real-world issues and how they can be addressed. Although I am unsure of my major at the moment, all college majors hope to seek and understand the way the natural world works. I have applied to Honors colleges and research programs to understand more than just the way things work. I hope to understand how I can make a difference in the world, however small that difference may be. My commitment to making a difference in nature is evident in the composting I do regularly (which I oftentimes put down in my garden) or the recycling that my family does in a local community where recycling materials is not mandated or popular. I have involved myself in a variety of clubs and am at the top of my class, and hope to employ the knowledge I have picked up from various sports, clubs, and challenging classes to benefit the world. The education system may not seek to benefit the natural world, but it is up to me to apply my knowledge to benefit the Earth around me. I hope to explore a major in college and challenge myself to do my best to learn more about how I can make a difference in the world. By gaining this scholarship, I could continue to fuel my quest to learn more about issues that are prevalent in the world, and how I could seek to change them. Employing the concepts of not only knowledge that I've been forced to memorize over the years, but also the knowledge that I've sought on my own. The progression of the world has been monumental, but it is worth nothing if society does not learn how to live sustainably, and I seek to understand how best to do this. The best factor about all of this, in my opinion, is that I am not limited to a major of study, and can explore my options on how to make this change. Whether that be learning more about the history of the world, and how we can best prevent issues from surfacing, understanding the Biology of organisms and the function of the Earth, or the psychology of the human body. The fact of the matter is that there is still so much to be explored, and it excites me that I have the potential to make this change. But what are the odds that I will make this change? The odds of a human being just being born is about a one in four trillion chance, another example of the mind-blowing phenomenon of the Earth. That means the probability of me sitting here, typing this essay is even lower. And this is true for all the other applicants that are applying to this scholarship, eager and invested in the natural world. What makes me so different from all of them? I hope to seek to learn more about the natural world by pursuing a major and connecting my knowledge to making a difference in my community and beyond, something I am deeply committed to in my involvement in community service clubs and volunteering at my church. But I want to do more than just receive this scholarship if I were to win. I seek to capitalize on this one in four trillion chance and make a difference in the world by living sustainably and exploring to learn how I can understand the nature of the universe. I hope to understand the bigger picture of the Earth. It may be daylight out still while I point my telescope at the sky, but that doesn't quench my curiosity to learn more.