New Found Strength and Influence by Ricardo

New Found Strength and Influence by Ricardo - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Life is full of hidden gems that can empower you with strength. I discovered my new strength by embracing life to its fullest and finding joy in everything I do. Joy is a tool that empowered me with strength, as when you see everything in its fullest, it makes you believe that you can do anything. I discovered this new strength at a young age. I was a very outgoing kid and still am, always willing to make new friends and overall just networking. Whenever I encountered a problem, I usually cried, only seeing the negatives, until one day, my whole perspective changed. I was facing a problem; my tower of blocks got knocked over by my grandmother’s dog, but then my mother came to me and helped me make something new. She said, “When a negative comes to life, try to make something new out of it and make it a positive.” Then I took that advice and held onto it my entire life.

How that advice influenced my growth as a person is that every time I have a problem, I try to salvage the problem and make something new out of it, something better. This advice had also caused me to influence how my other friends view life, as I would repeat the quote to my friends to help solve their problems as well.