Being the Fixer by Emily

Being the Fixer by Emily - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

My mom used to call me a “fixer.” When my friends would have arguments, I always tried to solve them, or if my brothers fought over something, I would come up with a solution. Even when I had struggles of my own, I would always find a way out of them. I liked the term “fixer.” It made me feel capable and needed. But eventually, I realized that I couldn’t fix everything.

When I was young, I knew a girl whose parents got divorced. We were in third grade when she came to me with tears streaming down her face. I remember her asking me, “Fix it, please.” I was dumbfounded. I had never not known how to fix something. In that moment, there was no solution I could offer, no argument I could settle, no plan I could make. So I just opened my arms and hugged her for thirty minutes.

I went home that day upset that there wasn’t more I could do. The next day, I brought her a cookie from my pantry. She smiled. That one smile felt really nice. Time went on, and she slowly began to feel better. A couple years later, I asked her about her parents’ divorce. She told me she was just happy that I gave her a home again, even if it was just my arms.

That was the moment I began to understand something about myself. I am not a fixer because I solve problems; I am a fixer because I care deeply about people. I learned that helping someone in a meaningful way does not always require answers. Sometimes it simply requires presence. I learned that I am someone who builds safety for others, even when I cannot rebuild what has been broken.

What I once saw as a need to fix everything transformed into a desire to create comfort and belonging. I realized that my strength is not in having solutions but in offering steadiness. I do not need to control outcomes to make an impact. I just need to show up.

That experience changed the way I see helping others. It taught me that empathy is powerful, that small acts matter, and that sometimes the most meaningful thing you can build for someone is a place where they feel safe enough to breathe again.