Finding Passion in Change by Isaiah

Finding Passion in Change by Isaiah - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I was adopted at birth, and I've been cared for by my mom ever since. It's just been us two from the start, but we always figured out how to make the best of it. Since I was old enough to know about our situation and how we are less fortunate than others in terms of financial stability, I've had to learn to work for everything, from making friends to making a name for myself. In doing that, I found a love for sports. I started off playing football and soccer, but there's one sport that ultimately caught and maintained my attention: Basketball. My favorite player is Steph Curry, and just like him, people doubt me. They think I'm too big, too slow, and don't have enough skill, which at one point was true, but I’ve made a change. I started getting up and training when I wanted to sleep, going to practice when I wanted to hang with friends, and applying myself when I felt like giving up. Even now, I'm not anywhere near my greatest and there are so many people I know that are ahead of me, whether that be by talent or pure hard work. Either way, I'm not worried about them, I'm worried about the man in the mirror, the man holding me back. Many people look at stats and leader boards for their competition, while I see mine from the time I wake up to when I close my eyes at night. I used to try to impress and please other people when I wasn’t even satisfied with myself. That change I mentioned, that flip I switched recently, that's my strength, the strength to change. People think change can't happen overnight, but I’ll change that narrative and prove myself wrong, because I too believed that. All it took was a change of heart and mind, and I saw the playing field of life with a whole new perspective. This perspective is something I want to instill into the youth, such as the kids in my neighborhood who come to my house to play basketball with me. They look up to me, and if I would have stayed on the path, I was on instead of trying to make a change it could have led to portraying something bad to them later on. I want them to know that fate isn't a thing, and you can change no matter your circumstances or mindset at a certain time. So, this in truth is my passion, the passion to succeed. The passion to not let my starting point define me. The passion to lead the youth and my peers beside me. The passion to CHANGE. This is why I believe it's ok to be unsure and indecisive about one's career and future because success has no form, and it's different for everyone. I'm not sure what my version of success looks like yet, but I do know that I'm dedicated and won't stop working until I figure it out.