The Last Hurrah by Sabrina

The Last Hurrah by Sabrina - August 2025 Scholarship Essay

Next year will be my last year as a college student. This is unusual, as I will be graduating a year early. While I will miss the connections I have built and will continue to build throughout my college years, I am proud of the work I achieved during my time in university. For example, I was on the Dean’s List for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences three times. I hope to continue this trend during my last year of college as one of my aspirations for the upcoming school year.

This will not be easy, as I anticipate struggling to juggle my course load alongside working as a Resident Advisor and being an intern for the First Year Experience program on my campus. There will be many all nighters pulled to accomplish this goal, but I know it will be worth it. One thing that motivates me to achieve my academic goals is being a part of Phi Eta Sigma.

Phi Eta Sigma is an academic honor society with a focus on volunteer work. I joined the organization during my sophomore year of university and since then I have been an active member. Within Phi Eta Sigma, I was connected with a community of individuals with similar academic motivations and goals. Last year, I consistently attended volunteer and academic events. It was there where my dreams to excel in school were replenished by seeing other students strive for the same goal. I constantly received encouragement from others around me to continue to strive for academic excellence. I hope to continue being an active member of Phi Eta Sigma, instilling the same motivation I was given to push myself further to other people in my organization.

Another aspiration I have for the upcoming school year is to get a full time position as a Residence Hall Director before graduation. My studies in the humanities taught me how to explore different careers and disciplines outside and inside of my major. My two year career exploration journey led me to desire careers within higher education, specifically within residence halls. I partnered with my university’s career center and worked alongside seasoned career coaches who assisted me along the path of discovery.

As a sophomore, I stepped into the Resident Advisor role. This position has allowed me to take an active role in facilitating resident engagement. For example, my staff and I hosted a two-day building orientation for the hundreds of students who live in my residence hall. We planned countless activities such as an ice cream social, a tie dye event, along with events focused on major/career exploration and leadership. Throughout the year, I have been responsible for hosting more events such as a slime making event, a book club event, and a monthly leadership dinner series hosted with the leadership center on campus. I have enjoyed seeing the positive impact that I have had on my residents and I hope to continue serving college students as a Residence Hall Director. This is my primary motivation that guides my career aspirations. I hope that within my job position I can work as a servant leader for communities around me.

During the second semester of my sophomore year, I worked with my career coach to formulate a career action plan. With my career coach’s expertise, I formulated a plan of when I will apply for jobs, what career fairs I will attend to connect with employers, and much more. I am excited to interact with future employers to show them how passionate and motivated I am to be working in higher education as a Residence Hall Director. I look forward to sharpening my skillset as a Resident Advisor during the upcoming year, finding new ways to better serve my residents and residence hall. I look forward to being a mentor to new Resident Advisors, helping them on their leadership journey. Within my First Year Experience internship, I am excited to learn more valuable career skills like classroom management, facilitation skills, public speaking, and much more. These positions will help me to secure a job position by giving me opportunities to grow professionally.

To conclude, I am excited to achieve the aspirations I set for myself. I look forward to working towards academic success and improving myself professionally. This year will be filled with opportunities to develop myself. While this year will be filled with goodbyes, new avenues and experiences are waiting for me within my job position as a Residence Hall Director. I am grateful to be considered for the Varsity Tutors College Scholarship. Thank you for your consideration.