By Unigo
We’re excited to announce the winner of the $1,500 Unigo Do-Over Scholarship. The question was, “If you could get one do-over in life what would it be and why?” Check out the winning essay, followed by scholarship tips from our winner.
Want to be a featured winner? Check Our Scholarships for a new scholarship every month.
Winning scholarship essay
Very few get the chance to redo a past mistake. Despite all the regrets I’ve compiled as I’ve aged, I’ve come to one conclusion on the option of do-overs: I wouldn’t change a single thing. A younger me would have seen my past mistakes as unconquerable obstacles when in fact–I now realize–they were so much more; they were do-overs within themselves. My mistakes gave me the opportunity to learn from them and develop more personal growth to prepare me for future obstacles to come. More importantly, my mistakes gave me a reason to persevere and keep trying.
Didn’t make the basketball team? Train harder and try again next year. Fail a test? Study more; kill the game for the next test. Had a terrible fight with your best friend? Apologize and reconcile with her.
Over the course of my years, I’ve learned that I don’t need do-overs because life continually gives me the opportunity to try again, this time with greater effort, greater determination, and greater heart. With each challenge and curveball that life has thrown my way, it shines through to me that do-overs are available in abundance if we choose to look at life with a different perspective. Essentially, each day is our own personal do-over–another day to try again and be better than the person we were yesterday. Personally, I’ve learned to appreciate each opportune day and to take criticism as another chance to improve and grow as a human being–and I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Scholarship tips from our winner
How to find scholarships
After being recommended to use Unigo by my counselor, I used the Scholarship Match feature, which helped me find a multitude of eligible scholarships. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to give students some funding for the pursuit of higher education.
How to write a winning scholarship essay
I focus on how to answer the prompt in a creative way that allow the readers get a feel for who I am. After I am done writing, I go over my scholarship essay to revise any spelling or grammatical errors to ensure the best quality. Make sure you enjoy what you’re writing and get creative; the readers go through thousands of scholarship applications so it’s important to stand out!