There is no better prompt for me to show the growth I have undergone. I once dropped out of college because I had a low GPA. Now 4.0 has become my norm. I even graduated with a 3.93 GPA and highest honors when I got my first associate degree.

The reason why I performed so poorly my first time in college was shock and the stress resulting from said shock. I would get so anxious about a due date that I would avoid thinking about it. Then when the due date of a major assignment finally approached and I was forced to think about it, I would rush myself and either mess it up or turn it in late. It happened with only one class at first but it became a chain reaction and I left my school when I lost all of my scholarships and accumulated an unfortunate amount of loan debt.

After that, I forced myself to see what the world was like for those that do not achieve a degree. Working retail, I was able to instill some traits in myself and become better than I ever was before. I proved to myself that I was not meant for the entry-level jobs.

I then rejoined school and got a degree in technology. Since that time, I have gotten one B+ and two A-’s and entirely filled all the other credits with A’s. The trick for me was to force myself to work on the homework when I think about it. I also set small goals because I feel rewarded every time I cross one off. I remember that I had a motto when I first returned to school after dropping out: “Take it one step at a time”, cliche, I know, but it worked. I said this to myself often and I began to achieve higher and higher dreams than I ever had before.

I was off to a shaky start since my transcript from Clark College shows that the first term I went back to school, I had only a 3.662 GPA. That seems low to me now, but at the time, I was astounded that I could achieve anything above what would have been considered honor roll at my high school. I was proving to myself that I was capable of school and I did so by setting small goals for myself that I had actually achieved! Once I knew that I was capable of getting A’s, I doubled down. Was I capable of a 4.0? I sure was. I got a 4.0 the next four terms afterward and I still haven’t dipped below a 3.9 again since that term.

I am finally pursuing my dream to become an aerospace engineer and, while I might not say it to myself anymore, I am only able to do these things just because I take it one step at a time. I am confident that I will become an aerospace engineer and that I will excel once I am one.