Roosevelt Alumni Scholarship Essay Rough Draft

The sounds of the outside world failed to intrude upon my concentration, as I stared at the blank paper laid out before me. My task was simple, to design a C02 powered car for my advanced technology class; yet, I found it that I was dumbstruck by all the possibilities I could place upon this paper. The idea of putting something from my mind on to paper, then later materializing that design into something that could be felt and seen by others was astounding to me. This simple little project would have a profound effect on my career choice and future in the years to come.
Prior to taking home my designs, my technology teacher informed us that we were to design and fabricate C02 powered cars in the following weeks. He said our goal was design the fastest car that we could possibly could; however, there was a catch to that simple request. He challenged us to open our minds, and design something that was creative and devoid of influence from the outside world. So, with this thought in mind, I went home and began to design something that was entirely my own. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours as I focused on my work. Only the task that lay before me was all that mattered. Finishing my design on time was the only problem that was persistent, but I managed to overcome that and turn it in. Then it was time materialize our cars into objects that could be defined by the senses. After creating our cars from a block of balsa wood, paint, and a whole lot of sweat, it was time to race. My car failed to take first, but it did take a modest third. Winning was not my primary goal; my goal was to design a complex and radical design that was different from any other. This project showed how I could use all the skills that I have acquired over the years can be put into a single project. The idea of that intrigued me and it is because of this project that I knew I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. I want to be an aerospace engineer because of the design process, testing, fabrication, and finding solutions to problems that may occur in the design. I plan on accomplishing this by attending the University of Colorado. The University of Colorado has one of the best aerospace programs in the nation, and the price tag of twenty thousand dollars for two semesters to go with it. So, I feel that getting accepted into that program would be a great opportunity to accomplish my goal. This is why obtaining this scholarship is so important to me, because it is an opportunity to further better myself and see how much I can improve.
Goals for me are not to be taken lightly. I set goals to further better myself and prove how far I can go. Currently, there are three major goals in my life. My first and closest goal is associated with swimming, which is one of my main focuses. For my junior year at high school, I plan to break a school record. The record I am going to break is the 200 yard individual medley, which stands at two minutes and ten seconds. The 200 yard individual medley is broken up into four fifty’s of each stroke in swimming. Last year, I had a time of two minutes and seventeen seconds, but I have only competed in that event a few times. I am positive I can break this record because I have practiced all summer until the beginning of this year’s high school boy’s season, so I feel that I put in the effort and work to accomplish this goal. My second goal is to graduate from Roosevelt High School with grade point average of 4.0 or better. At this current moment I have a 3.941 grade point average. My plan for obtaining my goal is to take three weighted classes; such as, AP calculus, AP US history, and AP Spanish to raise my grade to my desired grade point average. My third and most distant goal is to be accepted into the University of Colorado. I have the required grade point average and credits when I graduate, all I need to do this year is to take the ACT and score a twenty-eight or higher. Again, goals for me are not taken lightly and must be given one hundred percent.
As I stated earlier, the University of Colorado is far from cheap. Obtaining the required four year degree for aerospace engineering could cost upwards of forty thousand dollars, not including room and board. So in order to get my way through college, I will need help from scholarships, such as this one. My family will help me pay for college, and I will pay for most of it through my job as a lifeguard, but money is still a prevalent problem. So applying for scholarships will be extremely important as I advance through high school. They are going to be one of the best ways to pay through college. So, I am going to approach every scholarship as opportunities to get me where I want to go, and I must never waste that opportunity.
Looking back at that little C02 powered car now, I realized how that simple project pulled everything together. All of those skills to be successful were there and they were just waiting to be found. Now I take every opportunity that presents itself, so that I may further hone my skills to be better. Also, I must never waste an opportunity because by wasting an opportunity I am hurting myself and letting those that depend on me down. Even if I fail to accomplish an opportunity, such as a race or test, I can use that failure to learn and make myself better for the future.