Advice Towards Success from a Student-athlete
Ever since I was younger, I have always had a busy life balancing the aspects of being a student and an athlete. I started my football career when I was in the 5th grade when I decided to play city league football. From that experience, Throughout high school, I participated in football, weightlifting, and track and field, which consumed a lot of my academic and extracurricular time. Eventhough I have been a member of NSHSS since my freshman year, my busy school schedule limited my participation with the Society up until my senior year, where I had more freedom to apply for scholarships. Once I established enough life experiences to write about, I applied to multiple NSHSS scholarships. This led me to the scholarship that I was fortunate to be awarded which was the Claes Nobel Academic Scholarship. This scholarship is given to those who have a dream to make a positive impact in the world as it relates to sustainability.
Use Your Time Wisely and Network
Over my years throughout high school, I have learned the best advice to give other high schoolers is to use your time wisely. I know that when you are between the ages of 14-18 years old that it seems that you have an abundance of time, when in reality that is the most useful time to prepare for college through scholarships, internships, jobs, and experience in certifications. Alongside the extra circular activities, it would be wise to stay on top of your academics too. Make sure you build a relationship with your teachers and other educators so that you can receive letters of recommendation later on as well as job opportunities. All of these opportunities can be found within the involvement of NSHSS. Not only will you meet new people from different backgrounds, but you can learn how to make the most out of life and the network you gain when joining the society.
Persevere
In addition to my involvement with NSHSS, I have managed to balance the student-athlete life of a collegiate athlete. Over this past fall, I participated in my first fall semester in college while playing football. This was a major leap from high school and a major milestone in my life. Throughout the season, I had morning classes and afternoon classes that were back to back between morning workouts and afternoon practice. This was difficult, but I persevered. I was in study hall throughout the day and the library by night. By the end of the semester, I finished with a 4.0 GPA.
Search for Internships
Throughout my experience throughout high school, I was able to achieve a multitude of honors and recognitions. Since I participated in three sports year-round, I was always able to stay in shape easier and I even lost weight which helped motivate me. Throughout my summers, I was fortunate to gain internships at various locations including the City of Tallahassee Underground Utilities, the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators, and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsions at Florida State University. Alongside my internships, I have procured well over 100 hours’ worth of community service and have participated in various disaster relief scenarios. I also have talked on the radio for various programs about myself or promoting the positive impact of the programs on young teens. Currently, I am a Pre-Industrial Engineer that attends Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. I am also fortunate enough to play on the football team, where we completed with a winning season and as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champions at Division-1 football. I appreciate gaining the recognition from NSHSS and having the opportunity to use my scholarship towards my college experience. You can connect me at CC_Scholarships@nshss.org and check out the NSHSS Collegiate Council page.