Challenging Myself Beyond the Classroom by Desria

Challenging Myself Beyond the Classroom by Desria - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I never imagined myself taking college classes while still in high school. The idea of taking dual credit while just in 11th grade was intimidating, and I questioned whether I was capable of handling that level of responsibility. However, enrolling in my first dual credit course became the moment I discovered a strength in myself I didn't know I had. When I first enrolled in dual credit courses, I was overwhelmed by the exceptions that came with college-level work. Managing strict deadlines, lengthy assignments, and higher academic standards while still balancing my high school responsibilities was challenging. As the semester progressed, I discovered a new strength within myself: Discipline. I learned how to manage my time effectively and prioritize my time and to be responsible about doing my work and turning it on time. There were many times I doubted whether I was able to keep up with all my classes in high school and certain classes in college. As I continued taking dual credit courses through my senior year as well I gained more confidence in myself and realized anything I put my mind to I can do it. I'm still taking dual credit till this day and it has given me more than just confidence, it gave me structure, it gave me reasons to push myself to be better academically and physically. Dual credit gave me reasons to stay out of trouble and to focus on my future rather than others around me. I'm extremely grateful for believing in myself even when others doubted me, saying it was going to be too challenging for someone with a learning disability and ADHD. Now I am in my senior year and I've finished 28 hours out of 60 for my associate degree and I'm extremely proud of myself for believing in myself and listening to myself, knowing I can do anything I put my mind to. Doing dual credit as a high school student has helped me believe in myself more even when others doubted me, even when my own teachers questioned if this was the right option for me. I would never want to choose anything different but this route if I ever had to re do this. I knew as long as I believed in myself I could do it. This taught me that discipline is needed, strength is needed and being mentally strong and prepared is also needed when trying to prove everyone wrong but also do better for you.