New Strength-Mental Toughness by Chance

New Strength-Mental Toughness by Chance - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

When Covid and quarantine hit, we all developed mental toughness. We had to rethink the way we did things, go without seeing those we loved, and keep our minds and bodies active while isolating and social distancing. It was a confusing time and just when the world was getting back to some normalcy, my world was not.

You see, during Covid, my older sister started working out in an extreme way to pass the time. She was an elite soccer player and had big goals. She also was and is a perfectionist and someone who likes control. She had no control during Covid and took back control through extreme workouts and eventually anorexia. She was in trouble. My parents stepped in and our whole family dynamic changed. The entire focus was on saving my sister from herself. She had gotten to a scary unhealthy weight and an even scarier mental state.

That's when some of my childhood was robbed and my mental toughness developed and was repeatedly tested. You see, to this day I have never spoken about her anorexia or the years long mental health journey that ensued except with my parents, grandparents, and one side of the family (aunt.uncle, two cousins). I had to develop mental toughness and the ability to compartmentalize, to continue on with my life, my responsibilities, my schooling, my extra curricular activities, my friendships. I learned to make the most of every day and every opportunity and solved as many small problems as I could on my own, so that I didn't add to my parents' strife. I learned to persevere and be strong.

While I would not have chosen this path for my sister or my family, the situation did help me develop the ability to tackle challenging things, persevere through adversity. and prioritize what I knew to be beneficial for me - school, clubs, certain sports, family time, and quality friends. My mental toughness was tested time and time again. I have learned about my own limits and my own potential, Becoming mentally tough, being able to tackle adversity, being able to compartmentalize have all helped me not only survive but succeed and I have no doubt that this skill, if you will, will help me as I continue to grow through my collegiate experiences.