Perseverance by Julie

Perseverance by Julie - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Moving across the country is hard for anyone. For an 18-year-old who had rarely left her small town, being dropped halfway across the country with no friends or family made the challenge even greater. Within my first two weeks in a new state and at a new school, I was forced out of my dorm and suffered a major traumatic brain injury that left me unable to drive or fly. I found myself stuck on campus with limited mental functioning and relying only on the support of teammates I had just met.
That moment became a turning point in my life. I could either pack up and return to what was familiar or push through and stay in an entirely new environment. The people back home encouraged me to come back, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted. I chose to stay and figure things out on my own.
That decision revealed a strength I didn’t know I had. I learned how to stand up for myself and begin building a life with very little support. The experience showed me that I am far more resilient than I ever believed. I stayed for three years, turning that unfamiliar place into home. I found people I now consider family and created a life I was proud of.
When I later moved again, this time to a state 20 hours away, I realized how much that first experience had changed me. The second move wasn’t nearly as overwhelming. I now carry that strength with me, using it to face the scary moments in life and to say yes to new adventures.