Active Listening by Presleigh

Active Listening by Presleigh - April 2026 Scholarship Essay

One skill that I would like to grow would be my active listening skills. It is a skill that can help both in my personal life and professional life. I would like to become a counselor and know that active listening is a big part of the field. I also know that active listening is a very beneficial skill to have in personal relationships as well.

I have a few ways that I would like to work on developing my active listening skills. One of the first is that I will be continuing my education in the counseling field which will allow me to be a part of classes which focus on developing active listening. I also have a job where I would like to continue developing the skills. I currently work with youth who have gone through past trauma and sometimes need someone to listen too. Practicing basic speaking and listening skills are the beginning stepping stone to working on developing strong active listening skills. I also plan on working on simple communication with friends. Keeping up with others lives and following through with messaging is important because I want to keep up with others. Not only will it strengthen relationships and show that someone is listening but it will also help me work on active listening skills.

Becoming a counselor is what I have wanted to do for many years and now I know one of the most important skills is to be a great active listener. Active listening is not something that comes easy to me but I know that with practice and patience it is a skill that I will be able to strongly develop to help clients to the best of my abilities.