Zoë Farewell Varsity Tutor Essay by Zoë

Zoë Farewell Varsity Tutor Essay by Zoë - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

For most of my middle school and high school career, I often struggled to take charge in situations like group projects, where things needed to get done. I find myself hesitating even when I know what to do, fearing that I might not be the right person to do it. Earlier in the school year, in my dance class, my group had to choreograph a dance that counted as a project grade. I was grouped with girls who were all friends, but I didn’t talk to them that much, which caused me not to share my ideas as readily with the group. Instead of sharing ideas for choreography, the girls only talked to each other about things unrelated to dance. While I tried to nicely encourage them to share their opinions on things or if they liked the choreography ideas I shared, they mostly ignored me. We had a short deadline, but they weren’t being receptive to the ideas shared, and I was becoming very frustrated. I wanted to take charge and tell them that instead of being distracted, we should focus on the choreography, but my anxiety about how they would react stopped me from doing that. Eventually, another girl who joined our group was able to bring us all together and complete our choreography, and, in my opinion, she did it well. From this, I learned that I should not let my anxiety hold me back from accomplishing a goal. I take inspiration from the girl who stepped up to lead us because she wasn’t afraid to take on a more stern tone with the distracted girls who weren’t helping the group. She didn’t let their judgmental stares deter her from making sure they were paying attention to what the group was doing. This instance has inspired me to stand up and be a leader, even if I am worried about how others will perceive me as a leader. Since then, I feel like I have been able to apply what I’ve learned in more recent incidents. For example, I am currently doing a group project, and my group mates aren’t as active in the group as I would hope. Instead of not getting things done, I have taken the initiative and have talked to them to let them know what needs to be done. I have found a way to communicate this in a respectful, yet stern way so that it won’t come across as me being disrespectful to my group mates.