Patience by Ammar

Patience by Ammar - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

I was always struggling with comparing myself to everyone around me, never content with how things were for me. I had a rough upbringing since money wasn't always there, and everything I wanted to do was never possible since it would've been too expensive. Joining a rec soccer team, buying a bike, even having a phone; it was hard to appreciate what was around when all I could think about was what I didn't have. I felt this way until I was talking to a friend and he brought up the fact that you can't complain about where you're at in life if you have not put effort into getting out that predicament. That deeply resonated with me and from then on instead of sitting there, feeling stupidly sympathetic for myself, gave myself a rule that if I want something, even if it is barely important to me, that I get up that instant and work for it. I started with getting a job and that is what motivated me for everything else. Working for my own money to get my own things made it that much more worth it. A phone, buying soccer cleats, clothes I liked, presents for friends and family, I enjoyed taking the initiative on things I wanted to do. Even with school work, I stop waiting for the last 30 minutes of my day to submit assignments into canvas and did the work with any free time I had. That advice my friend gave me got me out of my negative mentality and made me realize where I am in life and what I do with the rest of it is all in my hands and I am forever thankful for what he made me realize I was able to do for myself.