Listen More Than You Speak! by Marlie
Marlie's entry into Varsity Tutor's June 2025 scholarship contest
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Listen More Than You Speak! by Marlie - June 2025 Scholarship Essay
“Listen more than you talk!” This is only one of the many lessons I have learned from being a member of one particular extracurricular activity of my school.. The principle of the 70/30 rule ensures that you do just that. Listen to the customers 70 percent of the time and talk 30 percent of the time. This rule is something that can be used in many career fields. This simple phrase has stuck with me and made an impact. If I had not joined my local SOAR Club, Students Observing Area Resources. I might have missed this valuable lesson. However, this is not the only valuable lesson I might have missed.
SOAR has given me more than just an occasional tidbit of information. It has enabled me to open my eyes to what my hometown has to offer. Most high school students have their minds set on getting as far away as possible from their hometown. I have found a greater meaning to this “extracurricular activity.” I have found a deeper understanding of the purpose of this club. This is why I feel strongly that this club in particular would make a great addition to any student’s class schedule while helping them receive real-life experiences that high school students do not always get to experience sitting at a desk.
SOAR is an organization that has teamed up with our high school, the alternative center, our Career and Technology Center, along with our Regional Chamber and Area Economic Development Corporation. It is through this leadership club that students can experience what their town has to offer. While in this club, I was taken around my city to get a real-world look at various careers within our city limits.. Starting at a small, locally owned jewelry store, to getting to go to the top of our city-owned coal-fired, steam-generated power plant. I learned so much about companies and operations right here around me that I never really gave much thought to. This organization gave me a more insightful perspective on potential career paths and helped me to clarify what opportunities I might pursue in the future. I loved having the firsthand experiences and being able to ask questions of the hosts. This, in turn, gave me a more precise and deeper understanding of how my newly acquired skills might be a good fit for some of the local businesses and careers we explored and visited.
I feel this extracurricular activity would be a great addition to the school’s course list. I believe every student would greatly benefit from this amazing opportunity that I chose. It is a great way to build relationships locally, for businesses to recruit students, and for students to explore career opportunities. However, more importantly, I strongly believe it would help our town grow as a community and keep young citizens right here in our town. Sometimes our high school students need to listen to these organizations and talk less about leaving.