Growth is an uncomfortable, freeing emotion by Savonne

Growth is an uncomfortable, freeing emotion by Savonne - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I discovered a new strength within myself fairly recently, during this semester of college, where I was placed in my class, Careers in Psychology. Every class was on Wednesdays of each week, and in each class, I would learn something new, either about myself or what I wanted for my future career. A class such as this tested both my confidence and resilience, leading to a particularly challenging thinking process behind self-reflection, long-term planning, and critical engagement with material that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. At times, the pressure of deciding what to research or what subsection of psychology I would want to pursue a career in made me question whether I was capable of succeeding in such a demanding field, but it gave me the tools and resources to add to my resume and taught me the importance of networking in college. The TA and graduate student in psychology, Alania, taught most of the class. Within the first day of class, as she went through what we would be learning for the year, I introduced myself to her immediately. She had shared with me the possibility of joining a research lab, which I thought was typically reserved for upperclassmen or graduate students. Leading me to new opportunities in my department and new people to meet, I thought to myself of how I could maximize my network with just this class alone. While in class, a presentation on various careers that can be pursued with a psychology degree was shown, prompting me to delve deeper and consider what I want for my future. The branch of psychology, neuropsychology, seemed like the perfect fit for my research interests. The combination of cognitive and behavioral traits being studied is what interests me about helping others with mental health. Telling my professors what I wanted to research and focus on opened doors to conversations with professors, graduate students from other schools, and internships that aligned with my interests. I am extremely grateful for the class, which helped me recognize my weakness of feeling unimportant and unmotivated, and turned it completely around, causing many doors of opportunity to open for me. This experience has also motivated me to give back to my department by mentoring several younger girls who also want to find their purpose within psychology. The impact of the class on me taught me the importance of community in times of uncertainty and how to give back that same grace to others.