A scholarship application Essay

I am interested in Engineering and Astrophysics. This is partly from a love of math and how it relates to the world. This is why I adore calculus; while it is by far the most challenging and engaging class I have taken thus far in my high school career, it is also practical. Studying graphs, integrals and derivatives, the way that distance derives to velocity which derives to acceleration (and so on and so forth), is so... awesome. Calculus proved to so engaging, such a complex but pleasant challenge that many in my class (including myself) tried to convince our teacher to teach calculus III. Unfortunately, this was not possible, but I anxiously await college in order to continue this study of math.

I play the banjo. I know a few people who play the banjo, including Mr. LaPoint our biology teacher, but no other students at this school. Its a plucky instrument which was used in jazz bands to accompany the band (instead of guitar), can be used to play a plethora of genres including funk, jazz, rock, and folk. Despite Steve Martin’s exclamation that the banjo can “never be sad,” I have found that the one can cull almost any emotion from the instrument. I wrestle, run cross country, and play tennis. While cross country was demanding of my body and tennis of my focus, Wrestling was one of the most difficult and important things I have ever done. It taught me how to persevere in the face of adversity.  I went from winning 1 match my sophomore year, the year I joined, to winning 20 and placing fifth at varsity states my senior year.  I was co-captain this year, an honor I hoped for but did not dare to ask about. Despite challenges brought on by injuries, grades, and other unforeseen problems the six wrestlers we brought to states were able to secure ninth out of some twenty or more teams that attended the state tournament in February. I think what I am proud of most is that no one thought that I could wrestle when I started back in my sophomore year, or let alone that I’d be any good.  When faced with adversity now, this is how I see it: conquerable.

This fall I will be studying Astronautical Engineering at Purdue University. I am one of the few students from our school pursuing this field of study. At Purdue, I can count on an education that promotes research and development of new technologies, ideas and sciences, and an environment that encourages business applications of that knowledge. Purdue offers some of the best and fully developed courses in the areas of aeronautical and astronautical engineering.  More than a third of all aeronauts and astronauts went to this prestigious university; including Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, and Gus Grissom. This is a substantial legacy since my dream is to travel into space. To make this dream a reality I plan on attending graduate school, hopefully at the even more prestigious CalTech, where the Jet Propulsion Labs reside. My plan is to obtain a doctorate in astronautical propulsion and design, then seek a job at NASA, Planetary Resources, or Virgin Galactic. I will work hard for this goal, I will obtain the grades and I will be working during school - through co-ops, paid internships, or RAU’s - to gain funds and work experience.

This goal is not insurmountable, I have worked hard in wrestling and succeeded and I can do it again. But a scholarship now could mean the difference between having enough money saved to seek this doctorate or having to work immediately after college, thus delaying my goal. I am getting lazy. But here's another essay I wrote a year ago.