How I've Grown, What I've Learned

There are many things that I've learned over the course of my lifetime that have helped me grow up to be the person that I am today.  Unfortunately, many of the events that drastically changed who I am were negative.  However, I feel that they have changed me the most because I am  now a stronger and more independent person.
One of the events that has changed me drastically was my parent's divorce.  It was the topic of my essay that I used while applying for the Hixson scholarship.

I think that bad things happen to people every day.  However, it isn't about what you've been through-it's about how you react.  If you constantly let bad the things that happen bring you down,  you will never be able to live up to your full potential.  I try to take everything that has happened to me in a positive manner.  Sure, some of the events were horrible at the time and are still hard to bring up, but I now realize that I wouldn't be the person I am today if it hadn't been for those events.  For instance, I may not have gotten the Hixson scholarship if my parents hadn't gotten divorced in the manner that they did.  If I hadn't gotten the Hixson, I wouldn't have learned so many new things or met so many new people that helped me to become the person that I am now.
So here's some advice-remember that even the little things are remembered.  Most importantly, remember that every time that you interact with someone in any way, you could be changing them for the better or for the worse.  So it's your choice-
Would you rather leave a mark on this world as the person that was good but became better and made other people better in the process, or as the person that was satisfied with just being good?

What the Hixson Means to Me

There are no words  to describe what an amazing opportunity this scholarship has given me.  I felt like I spent my entire senior year applying for scholarships to help with the financial burden of college.  Of all the scholarships I recieved though, the Hixson was by far the most meaningful.  I remember reading my essay to so many teachers to make sure that it was absolutely perfect before I sent my application in.  And I cannot even begin to describe how happy I was when I was informed that I had recieved the award.  During the award ceremony at my high school a teacher of mine was the one that got to give me the award, and she was so happy that she cried during the speech.  It felt so amazing to know that people were proud of me and wanted to help me succeed.  This scholarship gives people like me the opportunity to get an amazing education.  Without this scholarship, I would have been constantly worried about money.  As a design student, it is extremely hard to have a job and work on the projects that are due for the major as well.  Because of this scholarship I can put my mind on my academics instead and work as hard as I know a Hixson Scholar should.