Donell
Newton & Sara Anderson Scholarship for Excellence Recipient
“Like most children born to young parents, I was raised by only one parent, my mother. While my father abandoned her, and was able to pursue his dreams, my mom was forced to give up her dreams so that I may have one. Luckily, my other family members stepped up and helped me. My uncle Jason stepped up as my father figure, teaching me to be a man and making sure I never felt alone. My struggles made me who I am, they made me tougher. They made me hungrier, and they’re the reason why I won’t accept failure. I think of myself as a rose on the sidewalk. Even in my tribulations and the unlikelihood of me succeeding, I still continue to grow and flourish. I still continue to succeed and will never accept anything less than success. I’ve witnessed my mother struggle to pay bills by herself and still find ways to make sure I was happy. For that, I strive every day to make sure that her sacrifices will not be in vain.
As a member of the Keystone Club at the Boys and Girls Club, I assist some of the children with their homework after school. At first, I hated it. I would rather have been playing basketball, but the weirdest thing occurred. I started feeling a sense of accomplishment when someone I tutored finally learned something. I started mixing the way I taught up. I would find various rewards for them when they got material correct, and regularly I enjoy working with the students and in turn, they’ve helped me become a better man.
When I was in middle school, I tried out for the basketball team my 7th grade year. I worked out pretty much every day, and thought I deserved a spot on the team. Sadly, I was cut. It demoralized me, made me fall out of love of the game. Not even a week after getting cut, I was back in the gym, every day after school. I worked harder than ever before, and it paid off. The next year I would make the team, and since then I’ve made every basketball team I tried out for.
I think of myself as a rose on the sidewalk. Even in my tribulations and the unlikelihood of me succeeding, I still continue to grow and flourish. I still continue to succeed and will never accept anything less than success.
However, there are several experiences that have made me more interested in computer engineering. One that in particular assured me that I was doing something I loved. That was when I attempted to repair my PlayStation 4 after my mother unintentionally broke my system. Due to the constant transporting of the system, the HDMI port was always being switched to another plug. This in turn, destroyed the port itself. When I returned, I was beyond livid, but I maintained some composure after I researched the process of repairing it. Like most teens, I was broke, so I was not going to be able to cough up $120 to fix a system that only cost $200. So, after a couple of times playing with the motherboard, I realized that the process was actually simple, at least to me. I ordered a soldering torch and some special screwdrivers along with a new HDMI port. I removed the broken port, and replaced it. After my experimental repair, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t mind doing something like this for a career.
As an athlete, I have learned to have morals and to have respect for my peers. I became tougher and ready for real life encounters with those in power. Being an athlete meant that I had to learn how to balance school work, as well as, my skills on the court. It meant that I had to hold myself to a higher standard because it was a privilege to be able to play my sport. In college, I would hope being an athlete would help me continue to maintain my mental fortitude, as well as, my physical health.”