For this John B. Lynch Scholarship, I was asked to write an essay on three different topics: my academic and personal goals, my summer employment experience, and a life experience. In doing this I hope the committee can get a better understanding of who I am as a candidate for the John B. Lynch Scholarship.
Throughout my life, I have always set academic and personal goals to achieve. As a student, I have always strived to do my best. One goal that I set for myself was to always be an honor roll student at Sussex Technical High School. To achieve this goal, I identified the building blocks that would set me up to succeed. These include completing all assignments to the best of my ability, meeting with my teachers outside of class for extra help, and always being prepared for exams. I realized that in order to succeed, I needed to truly understand the material and not simply memorize facts for a test. This combination propelled me to achieving honor roll status every marking period of my high school career. This goal became a stepping stone to an even bigger goal that I have now achieved: being accepted to the University of Delaware. In addition to academic goals, I have set several personal goals for myself. The most important, and possibly most difficult, is to become a Delaware State Trooper. This goal will not be an easy one to accomplish because of the intense recruitment process, but I am very determined and have already begun preparing. I have already taken many steps to become a trooper, such as not having any social media. Many Delaware State Troops have told me that social media posts are a huge reason why candidates get denied. Even though it is very uncommon for a person my age not to have any social media, I am willing to forfeit this with my goal in mind. I also have shadowed State Troopers during a ride along in the summer of 2017 and plan to do more. This has been my goal for a very long time and I am going to set myself up to have the best chance possible.
One thing that I pride myself on is my work ethic. I got my first job at age fourteen, as soon as I was eligible. This first job was for a concession stand called Jay Vending. My responsibilities included scooping ice cream and water ice, and operating the cash register. It was a good first job for me and taught me many things. I learned how to work with people I had just met and also dealing with many angry customers. I worked there for three summers until the summer of 2016 when I started my new job as an HVAC service tech. I was hired by George Sherman Corporation to install and service HVAC units. This was a very difficult job that took me from tight crawlspaces with spiders and snakes, too hot attics that got up to 130 degrees in temperature. Even though I was working in conditions that were not ideal, I stayed focused on the task at hand. The next summer I continued to work at George Sherman Corporation, and added a second job bussing tables at Crooked Hammock Brewery. I took this job to make a little more money to save for college. This job was a very fast pace job that taught me a lot about team work. In order for the waiters/waitresses to get their table seated I had to clean and set it back up in a timely matter, we all had to work together to get the job done. Four days each week I would work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at George Sherman Corporation, then from 4:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Crooked Hammock Brewery. I have applied to be a Dewey Police Officer for the Summer of 2018. I believe this will enhance all of the work experience I already have, as well as prepare me to be a Delaware State Trooper.
Lastly I would like to share a recent personal experience about myself. During my third football game of my junior year in high school I had to be air lifted off the field. I was playing the center position for my high school team and in the first play of the fourth quarter a blitzing linebacker hit me. This linebacker outweighed me by 50 pounds and when he hit me it twisted my neck so violently that I was unconscious and unable to move or feel anything from the neck down. I was rushed to the nearest hospital in a helicopter and treated for many injuries. I was put through many X-rays and MRIs, when the test finally came back they were all negative. I regained feeling in my legs and was able to walk. All the doctors that I saw said that it was a miracle that I was walking again. This event has changed my life forever, it has allowed me to understand what was important in my life, like family, friends and the good times you have with them. It taught me how to face hard situations and look at the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dim it might be. It aloud me to appreciate the things in life that most people take for granted, like walking and talking. This injury has changed my perspective on life and I am thankful for it.
It is clear to me why the John B. Lynch Foundation asks candidates to elaborate on their academic goals, personal goals, and an important life experience. These three things give the foundation an idea of what the candidates have achieved, what they are working toward, and what is important to them. The goals I have achieved, the goals I am working toward, and the obstacles I have overcome have all set me up to accomplish my next goal: graduating from the University of Delaware.