From Discouragement to Discipline by Danielle

From Discouragement to Discipline by Danielle - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

What do you do when someone says you can’t do something you had your mind set on in 7th grade? For me, that moment came when I was in my advisory class, with a teacher who was supposed to be supportive, guiding, and shaping individuals based on their dreams. We were going around the room expressing what we would like to do as a career when we were older. It was my turn, and I told the class that I would like to be a physician assistant and work in the healthcare field. My advisor then said, in front of the entire class, that my dreams would never happen because I did not have straight A’s. He expressed how if I completed college, I would struggle and would never be accepted into PA school.
During these words of discouragement, I discovered a new strength in myself, which was motivation. His words cut through me as a setback, but motivated me to prove to him and anyone else that I am more than capable of achieving my dreams. Today, as a sophomore in college, I hold a 3.56 and have been on the dean's list my previous semester, and I think back to my teacher's words, knowing I am the living truth of proving him wrong. My teacher may not remember what he said to me on that day, but I always will when I move forward with my academic and personal goals in life. I graduated from high school with a 3.93 GPA and got accepted into John Carroll University, majoring in psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience and a leadership development minor. From this experience, I have allowed myself grace when things do not go as planned, however I will always have a motivated mindset to adhere to challenges and push through with perseverance with additional challenges I may face.