A New Perspective of Failure by Quinten

A New Perspective of Failure by Quinten - September 2026 Scholarship Essay

Failure after failure after failure, over and over can easily lead to self doubt of one’s abilities. I, however, have learned to value failure in the last few years. I have always gravitated towards STEM based classes due to their very hands on curriculum. The engineering courses I have taken in high school have been some of the hardest yet most enjoyable classes. One assignment I was faced with freshman year, we were tasked to build and code a machine that can walk. Balancing the weight, physical structure, and coding of a machine all at the same time while also meeting construction requirements is impossible to complete in one attempt. I would fail repeatedly with progress seeming out of reach. After adjusting to this failing culture, the new perspective helped me learn far quicker than before. What seemed like a roadblock became my biggest breakthrough and all it took was a change of perspective.
Labs, projects, models, and all other forms of learning by doing have made me the student I am. I have never had problems learning through other forms of learning, but other forms also have not progressed me as much as hands-on learning has. I am grateful for the PLTW classes (Engineering and Biomedical) and their curriculum because otherwise I can see myself being unprepared for real life problems in the workplace.
Engineering is a career all about solving problems in the real world using a process of trial and error. Being exposed to this learning style as early as I have, hopefully has adequately prepared me for my future career.