How a 700-Page Book Taught Me the Power of Persistence

Uncle Sid was talking about college scholarships as he stood in my parents’ living room holding a paper plate of Filipino food.  I can’t remember if he was talking to me or I was eavesdropping.  But what I heard mobilized my 15 year old self into action.

I walked to the Reference Section of my high school library to find The Scholarship Book - a 700 page book to help undergraduates find private-sector scholarships, grants, and loans.  If I was even remotely qualified for the scholarship, I tacked a sticky note on the page.  Then, I fed a postage paid blank postcard into the electric typewriter and typed out a request for application forms to be mailed to me.  Every week for the next three years of high school, I searched and applied for scholarships from The Scholarship Book and local scholarships posted in the guidance counselor’s office.

I requested official and unofficial transcripts in bulk so I had them ready to send with scholarship applications.  I had written so many essays that I could repurpose them for similar topics.  I asked the same teachers for recommendations so they could use the same letters for multiple applications. 

Every $500, $1000, or $$$ scholarship meant that I could pay for tuition and books, and lessen the burden on my parents.  I didn’t know about living on campus or studying abroad or other opportunities offered at university.  I was focused on the basics - tuition and books.

I continued applying for scholarships throughout my university years.  Between scholarship money, working 30+ hours per week during the school year, and my parents’ contributions, I graduated from a private Jesuit university with no loans.  It was only much later in my life that I realized the financial head start it gave me to not have the burden of school loans at the beginning of my adult life.

Listening to advice and acting on it is my super power.  I will make mistakes.  I will stumble.  But I will take action and persist until I get it done.

What do you need to start today?