“Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but no success is possible without hard work.” Since coming to college, this quote has been extremely influential for me. Throughout high school succeeding was never an issue for me, however in college I have found that success doesn’t come so easily. Before coming to college I had always heard, “If you work hard, you will do well,” therefore I tried to follow  that mindset from day one of school. At first the results showed, I put in the time and my grade reflected my hard work. It quickly became apparent though, that not every situation was like that. Sometimes, putting in the hard work and time does not lead to the desired results, and it can be very difficult to accept. For me, I could not understand why I did not see the success I was expecting and I became very frustrated. Convinced I was destined for failure, I began to think that there was no point in working hard at all. Just as I began to accept my defeat, my father sent me this quote and it has truly been eye opening for me. Success is not something that is handed to you, you have to work for it. As the quote states, hard work does not guarantee success, however without hard work you are guaranteed to fail. This quote has completely changed my attitude towards failure and has overall helped me to stay motivated. Knowing that the work I do is beneficial for my success regardless of results drives me to keep working hard. I am determined to work hard and succeed, but now can better accept when I work hard and fail.

My high school graduation, a surreal, yet bittersweet day for me. All my life, I had been working hard to earn my diploma, maintain a 4.0, and graduate with honors. Ever since I was a young girl, all that seemed to matter was my high school graduation day. When the day finally came, I was ecstatic to have achieved my goal, but somewhat lost where to go from there. However, I soon realized that the purpose of my education was not just to obtain my diploma, but to learn and grow as a person. Graduating high school was a major accomplishment in my life, perhaps one of my greatest. Not only did I achieve my goal, I also set new goals for myself and started holding myself to a higher standard.

Graduation helped me to see that there is not one set point to work for, I am working for my entire future and happiness. That day helped me see that I am more than a paper, or a grade, and that my education and interests makes me who I am. Since then I have learned that I can succeed and reach my goals, and then once I reach them I can set new ones. Graduating was not only a wonderful accomplishment in my life, but also an eyeopening experience for my future.