Senior year can be stressful, especially when you start to think about what your plans are after you graduate from high school. Some people might end up in university or college, attend trade school, join the military, or even jump straight into work. But what some people might not have realized is that there are so many resources and people in their lives that can make the process much easier and less stressful.
Junior year I started to think about possible schools that I wanted to attend after I graduated or programs I wanted to join. But what I didn’t realize is how I would pay for it. Tuition, books, and other educational resources can be expensive, and the thought of not being able to cover all of it is scary for me and my family. But when I started my senior year, teachers and guidance counselors started to give students resources and scholarship opportunities that could help with our future education.
One scholarship in particular caught my eye: the CFY Pinellas Scholarship opportunities. The ‘Clearwater for Youth’ provided a couple types of scholarships: one for university/college and another specifically for St. Petersburg College. When applying, I hadn’t fully decided where I wanted to go yet. While being in the process of filling out college applications and waiting for decision letters, I thought to myself, “Was it worth taking the risk to fill out the SPC scholarship?” “What if I decided to go somewhere else?” So, the week my application was due, I made the last-minute decision to apply for the ‘CFY/SPC Scholarship,’ not even thinking that I was going to get it.
A few weeks passed by, and at this point I got my fair share of rejection letters. Rejection letters from schools I wanted to go to but were not in my favor. After some time sitting with myself, I came to the decision of attending St. Petersburg College and majoring in marketing. Some factors that led me to this decision included that I would still stay at home and save money on tuition and housing and still get a proper education that will lead me to academic success. Even though I didn’t get my first choice, to me it felt like the right one. Little did I know, that same day, I was visited by a member of CFY Pinellas announcing that I was one of the recipients for the ‘CFY/SPC Scholarship.’ This scholarship will help me financially by covering three years’ worth of tuition and books at St. Petersburg College. With this scholarship, I was sponsored by The Crumb Factory, who will help me in my academic endeavors. My excitement, relief, and gratitude were beyond words. I am so thankful for this opportunity, knowing that I would be supported through my academic journey in the near future with the help of this scholarship.
This opportunity led me to be recognized at the ‘CFY banquet at the ballpark’ in Dunedin with other scholarship recipients from around Pinellas County. I also had the opportunity to meet Mayor Welch at St. Petersburg City Hall and was recognized with a ‘City Council Distinguished Citizen’ award during the city council meeting in March.
I have learned many things since my time of receiving this amazing opportunity. I have learned that rejection is truly redirection and that no matter what happens, I will end up where I am meant to be. After facing some harsh rejections this year, I found so many things to be grateful for and so many opportunities that will allow me to shine and flourish in the future. Thank you to CFY Pinellas, The Crumb Factory, St. Petersburg City Hall, Mayor Welch, St. Petersburg High School educators and staff, and especially St. Petersburg High School’s Palmetto & Pine for allowing me to share my story and grow as a Green Devil.
