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Coach Reid Scholarship

Funded by
$500
1 winner$500
Awarded
Application Deadline
Jan 25, 2022
Winners Announced
Feb 24, 2022
Education Level
High School

Many towns in the US have ample resources for sports, but limited resources for academics.

In my home town of Alexandria, Louisiana, there were limited resources available to support students who wanted to excel in academics and attend a college in another state.

To support the ambitious students at Alexandria Senior High School in their pursuit of higher education, the Coach Reid Scholarship will go to one student Alexandria Senior High School student who demonstrates academic excellence, leadership, and grit.

To apply, please write about the most significant challenge you've faced, the steps you’ve taken to overcome the challenge, and how that challenge has prepared you for the future.

Selection Criteria:
Essay, Excellence, Leadership, Grit
Published August 31, 2021
Essay Topic

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge prepared you for the future?

400–600 words

Winning Application

Naomi Cousin
Alexandria Senior High SchoolAlexandria, LA
Everyone has different obstacles that they need to overcome to succeed. Personally, I used to struggle with my confidence. My lack of confidence reflected from not wanting to meet new people because I assumed they would not like me to second-guessing every answer I put on a test. My complete lack of confidence prohibited me from making the most out of my high school experience. I did not want to be involved in extracurriculars because I felt that I was not good enough, and I did not make many friends because I was never confident people would like me. This is the challenge I faced for the first three years of my high school experience, but as a senior, I realize that failing and not being perfect is a part of life. This realization did take longer than necessary, but I needed to take the initiative to surround myself with people that would build me up. Having the right group of friends may not seem like a large step, but these are the people that speak into your life and that you listen to mostly. Once I changed my inner circle of friends, I began to raise my hand more in class, be more outgoing, and even join some clubs. I went from having friends that degraded and weakened my self-esteem to friends that motivated, pushed, and wanted me to succeed. Overall, increasing my confidence will better prepare me for my future career and college life. After all, in college, I need to find a group of people that I can study with, and I will need to join different organizations to have access to more scholarships. As of two years ago, I would have even considered doing any of that, but now, I believe that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Not to mention, as a future engineer I will need to speak up against any problems with documents and blueprints. Without the confidence to know that I am correct, I would not be able to do this. I would not be able to know for a fact that I will have completed projects completely and correctly. Confidence may not seem like a major obstacle to the bulk of people, but a lack of confidence can affect every area of life. The majority of people say that they would change disappointments and decisions that they have made in their life. However, I believe that these challenges and decisions make everyone the person they are currently. Without losing a loved one, a person will not cherish life and time. Without failing a test, a person can not truly value studying. Without friendships failing, a person will not know the type of people to surround themselves with. Every event in life creates the person we are today, so I am thankful for the largest challenge I have needed to overcome in my high school years.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Jan 25, 2022. Winners will be announced on Feb 24, 2022.