How Scientific Principles Taught Me to Approach Teachings with an Open Mind by Chloe

How Scientific Principles Taught Me to Approach Teachings with an Open Mind by Chloe - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

I never considered myself someone who struggled academically. My biggest struggles usually came from lack of motivation, not understanding. Growing up, I viewed learning as a process of simply finding the right answer. Science, however, showed me that it’s also a process of asking the right questions. As a Christian student who attended public school for all of her life until attending a Lutheran high school, I felt challenged when scientific principles caused me to rethink ideas I had already accepted without much thought. Rather than avoiding those complicated questions, I learned to use them as an opportunity to understand perspectives other than my own.
I remember the classes and lessons talking about evolution, DNA, genetic properties, etc. At first, I felt hesitant. I didn’t know how these topics would fit with my beliefs. In my mind, biology principles were pieces to one puzzle, and my beliefs were pieces to another. Then, I realized that my fear wasn’t not understanding the class, but that it would disagree with Biblical teachings. After figuring out my obstacle, I overcame it by approaching it head-on. What I found is that usually, science and Christianity actually work together. There are some theories that may not align with Christian beliefs, but that inspired me to find the courage to look at science from an objective perspective without falling from faith.
In conclusion, this opportunity ultimately strengthened my critical thinking skills because I can now ask questions regarding different viewpoints without overthinking about it clashing with my beliefs. Science is built on questions, in fact, most careers are. Lawyers and judges may ask “Does this person deserve a punishment?” or “Has this person shown they’ve changed?” Doctors may ask “Will this prescription help my patient?” Answers to these questions will change based on one’s morals or religious beliefs, which is why it’s important to understand different viewpoints to efficiently make tough decisions and think critically. As you can see, this opportunity not only helped me to improve strategic thinking at school, but also provided an important lesson forever applicable in daily life.