SlideShare a Scribd company logo
HenryFord, founderof FordMotor Company,once said,"Failure issimplyanopportunitytobeginagain,
thistime more intelligently." Ifindthisquote incrediblygroundingwhenIfeel like there isjustno
gettingupagainafter failing. Iwasa freshmaninhighschool whenthe mostmemorable failure Ihave
had transpired: Idecidedtoplayvolleyball.
I had dabbledinrecreational volleyball previoustothatyear,but neverat a higherlevel. Jumping
straightintocompetitive highschoolvolleyballwasnota greatmove for an amateur,butI was oblivious
at that time. I wasa bright-eyed,bushypony-tailedgirl withbrandnew knee padsthe firstdayof
tryouts. I had no ideahowthe twodays wouldgo,all I knew wasI wasincrediblynervous. We ranour
twolaps,we stretched,thenwe startedtopass inpairs. I wascomfortable withthisdrill. Asthe session
progressed,myfamiliarityfaded. Foreignconceptswere thrownatme like avolleyball wasspikedatthe
ground. I was no longerinmycomfortzone,but I triedtokeepup. This continuedfortwodays.
By the endof tryouts,I wasnervousto saythe least.Finally,the time hadcome:cuts. Coacheshad
come to a decisionaboutthe teams. The coacheshungthe teamlistson the door. I heard chorusesof
“Yes!"and "Oh no!” My heart waspoundingoutof my freshmanchest. Imade my way tothe door,and
I scannedthe door formy name repeatedly;howeverIwascrushedto findthatmy name wasnot on
that list. I wasdevastated. Withmy bushyponytail hanginglow andmynot-sobrandnew knee padsat
my ankles,Ileftthe gymnasium.
Aftera shortcry sessionanda longnap,I pulledoutmylaptopandbeganto researchinstructional
videosandlocal camps. I was a strong,independentlittle freshman,andIwas goingto make myself
betterif I wasto have any chance in beingonthe volleyball teamnextyear. Iworkedhardall summer,
and I workedsteadilythroughthe nextschool year. Whenworkoutsforthe nextvolleyball season
beganthat followingspring,Iwasthere withmybigbushyponytail intow.
I made the volleyball teammysophomore year. Iworkedhardforwhat I wanted,andI achievedmy
goal. Mr. Ford wasright whenhe saidone hadto approach the same situationmore intelligently. I
equippedmyselfwiththe toolsforsuccessthe secondtime around. Ilearnedthatsuccessdoesnot
happenwithouthardwork. That isthe mostimportantlife lessonIcouldhave everlearnedfrommy
failure.
My bushyponytail stillhangslowsometimes,butIjustthinkaboutall of myaccomplishmentsandI
make that ponytail hanghighagain.Iknow that I can applythe resilientmindsetIhave createdtomy
life onRockyTop. I will notalwaysbe successful, butaslongas I learnfrommy mistakesandcorrect
them,I will neverhave failedmyself.

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scholarship letter

  • 1. HenryFord, founderof FordMotor Company,once said,"Failure issimplyanopportunitytobeginagain, thistime more intelligently." Ifindthisquote incrediblygroundingwhenIfeel like there isjustno gettingupagainafter failing. Iwasa freshmaninhighschool whenthe mostmemorable failure Ihave had transpired: Idecidedtoplayvolleyball. I had dabbledinrecreational volleyball previoustothatyear,but neverat a higherlevel. Jumping straightintocompetitive highschoolvolleyballwasnota greatmove for an amateur,butI was oblivious at that time. I wasa bright-eyed,bushypony-tailedgirl withbrandnew knee padsthe firstdayof tryouts. I had no ideahowthe twodays wouldgo,all I knew wasI wasincrediblynervous. We ranour twolaps,we stretched,thenwe startedtopass inpairs. I wascomfortable withthisdrill. Asthe session progressed,myfamiliarityfaded. Foreignconceptswere thrownatme like avolleyball wasspikedatthe ground. I was no longerinmycomfortzone,but I triedtokeepup. This continuedfortwodays. By the endof tryouts,I wasnervousto saythe least.Finally,the time hadcome:cuts. Coacheshad come to a decisionaboutthe teams. The coacheshungthe teamlistson the door. I heard chorusesof “Yes!"and "Oh no!” My heart waspoundingoutof my freshmanchest. Imade my way tothe door,and I scannedthe door formy name repeatedly;howeverIwascrushedto findthatmy name wasnot on that list. I wasdevastated. Withmy bushyponytail hanginglow andmynot-sobrandnew knee padsat my ankles,Ileftthe gymnasium. Aftera shortcry sessionanda longnap,I pulledoutmylaptopandbeganto researchinstructional videosandlocal camps. I was a strong,independentlittle freshman,andIwas goingto make myself betterif I wasto have any chance in beingonthe volleyball teamnextyear. Iworkedhardall summer, and I workedsteadilythroughthe nextschool year. Whenworkoutsforthe nextvolleyball season beganthat followingspring,Iwasthere withmybigbushyponytail intow. I made the volleyball teammysophomore year. Iworkedhardforwhat I wanted,andI achievedmy goal. Mr. Ford wasright whenhe saidone hadto approach the same situationmore intelligently. I equippedmyselfwiththe toolsforsuccessthe secondtime around. Ilearnedthatsuccessdoesnot happenwithouthardwork. That isthe mostimportantlife lessonIcouldhave everlearnedfrommy failure. My bushyponytail stillhangslowsometimes,butIjustthinkaboutall of myaccomplishmentsandI make that ponytail hanghighagain.Iknow that I can applythe resilientmindsetIhave createdtomy
  • 2. life onRockyTop. I will notalwaysbe successful, butaslongas I learnfrommy mistakesandcorrect them,I will neverhave failedmyself.