Give Yourself Grace While Chasing Greatness by Gabrielle

Give Yourself Grace While Chasing Greatness by Gabrielle - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

If I could give one piece of advice to my past self, it would be this: learn to live in the moment and give yourself grace while chasing greatness. You’ve always been determined and focused on building a better future for yourself and your family. That drive is what makes you different—it’s the reason why you wake up every morning thinking, How can I be better today? But in your pursuit of success, don’t forget to slow down, appreciate the journey, and allow yourself room to grow.

From a young age, you carried a lot on your shoulders. Balancing high school, earning an associate degree, working two part-time jobs, playing varsity basketball, serving as team captain, maintaining academic honors, and still trying to enjoy the experience of being a teenager—that wasn’t easy. But you managed it all with determination and strength, often without guidance, as a first-generation college student. You taught yourself how to navigate life one step at a time, and that’s something to be incredibly proud of.

But in all of that striving, you sometimes forgot to just be. To enjoy your friends. To appreciate your mom for all she was doing behind the scenes. To live fully in the moment instead of always planning the next five steps ahead. And that’s where the lesson lies: it’s not just about pushing forward, it’s about being present and learning to give yourself the grace to not have it all figured out.

Growth doesn’t always look like straight A’s or job promotions. Sometimes, growth looks like crying in your dorm because life is overwhelming, but still getting up and going to class. Sometimes, it’s failing at something you tried so hard for—but being proud you had the courage to try in the first place. You’ll come to realize that your failures are just as important as your victories. They shape you, strengthen you, and teach you resilience.

And remember this: it’s okay to step out of your comfort zone. In fact, you must. That’s how you grow. It’s scary to do things you’ve never done before, especially when you don’t have a roadmap or someone to show you the way. But every time you feel nervous, unsure, or even scared—that means you’re growing. That means you're pushing yourself into new territory, and that's where true transformation happens.

College will bring a lot of these moments. You’ll be 18, surrounded by 21-year-olds in your junior-level courses, and preparing to graduate with your bachelor’s at 19. You’ll be working on campus, playing JV basketball, and navigating what it means to be a young adult with real responsibilities. It will be uncomfortable at times—but you’ll adapt. You’ll thrive. Because you were built for this.

And you’ll continue to dream big. You want to work in ticket sales for a professional basketball team, specifically the Las Vegas Aces. You want to be in an environment where your love for sports and your ability to build relationships can come together. You want to be someone who engages with fans, builds community through sport, and stays close to the game that shaped so much of who you are.

But you also want more than just a career. You want to give back. You want to go back to the same communities you came from and mentor young kids who don’t believe college is possible or who are navigating life alone like you once did. You never had a mentor growing up—but you want to be that person for someone else. You want to show them that with effort, faith, and support, they can break generational cycles. That they matter.

That’s why your grit matters. That’s why the long hours, the tough days, and the sacrifices are worth it. Every job you’ve had since age 14 and every volunteer event—from cheering on kids with disabilities at the Buddy Walk to supporting survivors at the sexual assault walk—has prepared you for a life of impact. You’ve worked hard to become a student ambassador, a leader on and off the court, and someone who continues to fight for their future even when the odds feel heavy.

So to my younger self, I say this:

You’re doing better than you think. Keep dreaming big. Keep chasing your goals. But also, stop every once in a while to take in how far you’ve come. It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to stumble. What matters most is that you keep getting back up, learning, and moving forward. Stay optimistic. Keep your faith strong. And most importantly—give yourself the grace to be human.

Life is not about having every piece of the puzzle figured out. It’s about showing up, trying your best, adjusting when things go wrong, and continuing to move with purpose. You were never meant to have it easy—you were meant to have impact. And you're well on your way.