Pièce de résistance by Joel

Pièce de résistance by Joel - November 2025 Scholarship Essay

"Pièce de résistance" is a French phrase that refers to the most important item in a series or collection, like the “MVP” of a basketball team. It signifies the masterpiece, highlight, or the most noteworthy feature of something. Technology is the "pièce de résistance" to my academic success. Although relatively new, technology, and specifically the application “Q-chat,” has completely changed what learning means to me.

I now see myself as somewhat of what many would call an “advanced learner,” but I never felt like it. I’m always pushing myself to take a vast majority of accelerated courses, but for me, sometimes I tend to bite off more than I can chew. As a result, my confidence in my academic abilities decreased over time, eventually reaching a point where my motivation became pusillanimous. During this time, I didn’t thoroughly enjoy school as much as I once did. School started to feel like a chore to me.

But it all changed around the start of my junior year of high school. I was fresh off failing my AICE Marine Science AS level exam, an exam that I needed to pass for credit towards my Cambridge AICE diploma. I was just brimming with anhedonia. I needed to retake and pass this test, but I had no idea where to start. That was until I was introduced by a friend to “Q-chat,” the pièce de résistance that paved a way out of this motivation slump. Q-chat is an AI-powered tutor on Quizlet that acts as an actual study partner. At first I was skeptical of using it, but I started to see a rise in my confidence just after a couple of study sessions. Q-chat uses conversational questions and acts like an AI tutor. This interaction helped me grasp concepts that are nondescript. Q-chat solidified my understanding of AICE Marine Science, and I gained the confidence to retake the exam. I received a passing score of “E,” which had a significantly greater amount of points than my previous failing one.

After the re-ignition of confidence in my academic abilities, I thrived to receive my Cambridge AICE Diploma. After successfully using Q-chat to aid my success, I realized that I am a conversational learner. Likewise, I realized how much I could help myself by using technology. Q-chat and other AI tutors became my cornerstone for whenever I needed extra help. Additionally, my confidence was back and was stronger than it ever was. Technology means a lot to me in the classroom and school and is an essential part of the way I learn to this day.

I’m Sophophilic, and technology is what keeps me going to this day. I learn through interactions, and AI tutors replicate the conversations that I require to learn. I think sometimes, a perceived lack of motivation can indicate a deep thirst for success. I discovered my thirst through technology by finding and catering to my learning style. Currently I am in my senior year of high school, and I still find myself using various AI tutors whenever I’m puzzled on a concept. It’s my way of learning and my driver for success. It truly is my "pièce de résistance."