InSite Solutions was excited to receive so many great applications and essays for our recent InSite Solutions Scholarship competition. Our scholarship winner, Sophia Leone, will apply her scholarship award to the costs associated with attending Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine next year. You can read her essay here.
Another essay we were impressed by was submitted by Adriana Mitchell. Her determination, commitment to organization and focus on her goals, will carry her far…really, really far. We fully expect to hear about Adriana Mitchell in the coming years as a NASA astronaut or a scientist discovering things in outer space. We believe in you, Adriana! Good luck with your lofty goals.
Here’s the essay prompt scholarship applicants were asked to use: At InSite Solutions, we believe that superior organization and clearly defined visual cues help pave the way for increased productivity, both in the workplace and at home. How do you use organization and visual cues to simplify your life?
Here’s Adriana’s essay:
Many students shift uncomfortably and look for a way to escape when adults ask what they what they want to do with their life. I stand confidently and speak of becoming an astronaut through my optical sciences degree. This confidence stems from a well-organized four-year-plan that details what classes I will take each semester and my plans for each summer.
My four-year-plan has kept me motivated during my first year at college. Creating my plan has allowed me to see future classes that I will take, and keeps me excited for oncoming semesters. I tell myself, if I can just get through vector calculus, then I can take those intriguing classes next semester. Giving me an ideal to strive towards has helped me in other aspects. I now lay out how much work I will do each day at the beginning of the week, so that I don’t wait to do my assignments the night before they’re due. Being academically organized lets me relax about lab reports and other assignments that I know I have under control, and gives me room to stress about important things. I was recently asked to give advice to high school seniors who are applying to colleges this year. I said the key strategy is to establish a system that keeps them aware of when applications are due and what they require.
My four-year-plan has impressed numerous academic superiors, and has allowed me to enter upper division courses not usually offered to underclassmen. They are used to speaking with freshman who don’t know what they want to do or major in, and are surprised when I have already planned out my major and three minors. This display of organization demonstrates maturity, and allows me access to opportunities. When approaching my academic advisors, I am sure to plan out what information I want to know by the end of the meeting, and employ questions that will get me what I need. I also color code each major and minor, which lets my academic advisors know which classes are in their jurisdiction.
Looking at classes that are not offered until later semesters has also allowed me to spot potential issues and conflicts. Reaching out early to advisors and department heads has allowed me to create contacts in the departments of my major and minors, who are willing to help should a problem arise. For example, two of my classes in fall 2016 are offered at the same time. However, with a quick email to my academic advisor, she was able to resolve the issue by moving a class discussion to another time. Being organized pays off in the long-run when potential issues can be solved before they even manifest themselves.
My four-year-plan inspires productivity by allowing me to feel motivated and pro-active, and by allowing me to obtain opportunities otherwise closed to me. Knowing that my map of the next four years of my life is in place lets me concentrate on my daily goals and concerns.
InSite Solutions is proud to announce the launch of the next cycle of our scholarship program, aimed at providing $1,000 for a full-time student during the Fall 2016 semester. The deadline for applying is September 5, 2016. Please visit our website for more information: https://stop-painting.com/post/scholarships.asp
