A Quote I Now Live By by Omayma

A Quote I Now Live By by Omayma - July 2021 Scholarship Essay

I am a junior in high school. Ever since my freshman year, a major goal I had set for myself was to make a legacy. As students, we hear about many who came before us and did amazing things. I wanted to be one of those students that people never stop talking about for years and decades after they graduate. I indulged myself in many different clubs in order to achieve this goal of mine. Eventually, I only felt that my time in my high school career was slipping away, and the things I did were not paying off. I joined a sport for the first time in an effort to incorporate more social interaction in my life, as a year long quarantine had detrimental effects on my social life and skills. In joining the Track and Field team at my high school, I met someone who I never knew would become one of my biggest role models. Someone who I will forever be indebted to.

This person is one of my four coaches, we’ll call him Coach G. Coach seemed unapproachable at first. It looked as if everyone already had a friendly relationship with him, as I was one of the only new athletes who tends to be very timid around new people. Soon enough, Coach G made it clear that he was my number one supporter, and biggest fan. One day after practice, I was visibly upset and disappointed in my performance. Coach G approached me and said “You are allowed to be proud of yourself. You need to trust the process”. I remember tearing up as I told him about how I wanted to leave a legacy behind me, and I felt like time was slipping under me, and nothing that I ever did seemed to pay off. I felt mediocre amongst my teammates. I felt embarrassed in front of my coach. He responded to me with “Sometimes the greatest legacy you can leave is on people, not through performance". At the time this was the last thing I wanted to hear. I now realize that Coach G was being completely honest with me, and what he told me is now something I strive to live by. I still have goals to leave a legacy, whether it is academically, through athletics, or through extra curricular activities, however Coach G taught me that as I continue to grow as a student & athlete, I have to remember to grow as a human being and cherish the relationships I make with others along the way.

令人沮丧的事实是,我们都将结束the same spot no matter how many legacys we make. The whole point of being alive, is LIVING! If we get hung up on the little things, then we ultimately forget to cherish the more important things such as the bonds we form with others. I used to leave my heart out on the track, I know carry it around with me on my sleeve.