Ask Questions by Simeon

Ask Questions by Simeon - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

If I had to give one piece of advice to my past self, I would say whenever I think I have asked too many questions, to ask more. From a young age, I have always been a pretty inquisitive person, but I think back on many times specifically throughout these last several years in college, I wish I asked even more questions. I am a person who lives by the saying "closed mouths don't get fed". However, beyond that, I believe asking questions is ultimately how you get to build friendships and relationships that go beneath the surface, that are of substance, and that are long lasting. Not only do they show you care about a person, but you can learn so much from other people's lived experiences. Of course, it is great to make mistakes and learn from them, but I believe learning lessons as quick as I can, especially from people who have the wisdom and experiences that I seek to gain, is the ultimate recipe for living a purposeful and successful life. Even beyond the general lessons that you can learn from asking people questions, getting to know people, and building genuine relationships, I believe asking questions is important because you never know what people are going through, let alone how long they will be in your life. I have unfortunately lost a great deal of family members and friends, and even on the other hand lost contact with people because of the lack of proximity. Losing people whether from a literal or metaphorical standpoint, it's taught me to cherish the time I have with friends and family, and part of doing that is asking questions that indicate the love and care shared between people.