Poppy's Water Spigot by Oscar

Poppy's Water Spigot by Oscar - August 2025 Scholarship Essay

There’s a photo my grandfather, Poppy, keeps next to his computer from when I was two. I was crouched down by the water spigot on the side of his house, and I was studying it. He said he loves it so much because he could tell, at that moment, I was trying to figure out how it worked.
Maybe it was prophetic that water comes out of a spigot, because I am trying to pursue a career in the marine science field. When I was little, I told my parents I wanted to be an “otter doctor” which in my little kid language meant a marine biologist. Through the years, I have met with marine biologists in Washington state and on vacations in California that specialize in otters. I asked my parents to enroll me in every marine science camp we could find in our area, and when I was 12, I asked if I could learn to scuba dive. Every step of the way, I thrived in the oceanic environment. My parents fostered my interests because they wanted to see if this was merely going to be an interest or a passion. The scuba diving sealed the deal for me!
To further explore my passions, I have even contacted college professors who teach marine classes and have visited them and their summer research students. This has continually affirmed to me working in the marine field is what I want to do. But as I have taken my science classes in high school, and talked with my teachers, I really am drawn to the ecology and conservation side of the marine field. I have enjoyed the projects in AP Biology and AP Physics that allowed me the chance to create a solution to an identified problem.
Most people would define impact as making a difference. The word difference is vague. To me it is more than that, it also means there is evidence that what I am doing not only benefits a community but the environment also. I have always believed that one person can make a difference and that we have the ability to take care of the earth. That means the earth itself and those living on it. The older I have grown, the more I have identified my strengths. I analyze things, I think carefully about things, and then I try to solve problems.
Just like years ago when I wanted to figure out how that spigot worked, I have grown into a young man with a restorative nature. I find fulfillment in fixing things and discovering or learning about the connection that binds everything together. Once I have discerned the best way to proceed, I take ultimate responsibility to solve whatever problem I see. The ability to grow and foster my strengths into a scientific career that solves problems for the greater good is what I desire.
This scholarship would allow me to continue to foster my passion at an academic level. As I head into my senior year, I truly feel I have diligently been pursuing my passion. Given my academic interests, attending college for me is the next step in my journey.
My mom was the first person in her family to go to college. Her father, Poppy, never had the chance to go to college, but he worked hard to make sure my mom went. Being awarded this scholarship would help me along my path to fully realize who I am and what I was created to do- solve problems that benefit society as a whole. Poppy knew what he saw in me years ago, and I would love to prove him right!