Dedicated Student, I Am Convinced

¶ … dedicated student, I am convinced that obtaining a well-rounded education, whether at one of our prestigious universities or local community colleges, is one of the most valuable and precious things a person can do to improve his/her life. Basically speaking, an education, much like one's own mind and personality, is something that a person retains throughout his/her lifetime and like the mind and personality, it cannot be taken away by any outside force or entity. Thus, securing the financial assistance of a scholarship will greatly help to continue my education in order to receive the highest degree possible in my chosen field, an accomplishment that certainly would affect everything that happens in the future

As the married mother of two young girls, I often find it extremely difficult to set aside the time to study, especially when responsibilities toward my family take on primary importance, such as when one of my children is ill. Not too long ago, I even worked outside of the house at a day job. This and other similar situations forced me to take off every other semester at school, yet despite this, I managed to obtain my Associate's degree with honors.

After transferring to the university, my studies became affected by the fact that I have to commute some forty-five miles round-trip, due to my family lacking the financial means to relocate to the city, not to mention the cost of gasoline which I can barely afford and that as a mother, I find it very difficult to be separated from my children for any great length of time.

Most days, I do not see my children until late at night and many times upon coming home from school, they are already in bed and are often at school by the time I get up. I probably spend at least four or five hours each and every day cleaning up the house, doing laundry and washing dishes, and by the late afternoon, I am often so tired that I cannot concentrate on my studies, such as doing homework or some other school-related project.

Also, the stress related to living one day at a time makes it even more difficult to study and to think and plan for my future and that of my children. As you can probably understand, this is only part of my reason for attempting to obtain a scholarship which will help immensely with not only my financial responsibilities to the school but also to my family.

I am currently enrolled in the Hospitality Management Program here at the school for several reasons. First, I have always found it very enjoyable and worthwhile to be in contact with persons from diverse cultures, mostly because I have discovered that it helps me to develop as a person and to understand why certain people act certain ways in relation to their traditions. Second, after working hard in a restaurant for two long years, a place that obviously provides service to many people from very different backgrounds, I discovered that I also enjoy being with people, whether as a friend or a lowly-paid waitress.