Flowers Bloom For A Reason by Justice

Flowers Bloom For A Reason by Justice - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I failed every hearing test growing up. Raise a gummy bear when you hear a beep. Raise your hand when you hear a beep. I failed every test because my right ear failed me. But in reality, I failed myself.

I never went to an audiologist despite having years of failed tests. One day, my doctor finally realized something was wrong. She referred me to an audiologist, and I got my first ever hearing aids during the quarantine. For the first time in my life, I realized I was not normal or like my peers. For the first time in my life, I could hear more things around me. It just took me twelve years.
It was never noticeable that I could not hear to the point where my family was alarmed. It was brushed off as me purposefully ignoring those around me. Besides, my grades were perfectly fine. I always made high honors—it was expected of me. Then, high school hit me. I finally had hearing aids and was able to wear them to school for the first time! Freshmen and sophomore year were fine. I tried to advocate for myself but faced difficulties and let time flow. Junior year really made me notice how disabled I was. It was my first time taking an AP class, and there was a huge problem. I could not hear my teacher, as expected. Except, I was not used to being aware that I would have more needs than those around me. I would continuously be behind my peers due to my lack of hearing, drowning in eternal embarrassment. It got to the point where I had an extremely low grade, and I slowly lacked effort. The things happening outside my academic life did not help either.

I began to try advocating for myself again now that I had a new counselor. I signed up for college classes and made communication plans with my AP teacher. I excelled when I spoke up and applied myself. I was able to shape myself into someone who spoke up when they recognized that they were not being heard. I have always taken advantage of any resources available, but I managed to reach the full potential of this. I no longer had to rely on myself—it was all I knew. I opened up my eyes and saw that there was a community surrounding me. I learned how to experience satisfying my needs. I could stay hard-working while using help.
I failed every hearing test growing up. I failed every test because my right ear failed me. But in reality, I was extremely hard on myself and learned how to accept life for what it is. I cannot change my hearing, but I can change my environment and mindset. I cannot change my hearing, and I do not want to because it helped me learn life.