It starts tomorrow, and I am not looking forward to it. My dad has been telling me for the past few weeks how everything will be fine. I don't believe him. I keep telling him it is not for me, thinking to myself, why is he making me do this, I won't know anyone there, and no one is going to like me. I realized there is no way he is going to change his mind; I must go to the girls select basketball team tryouts.

The next morning my dad drags me out of bed and shouts, "Today's the day!" As he drives me to the school gymnasium, I can feel my heart beating against my shirt. My hands are starting to sweat and I have not even touched a ball. Slowly, I get out of the car and walk towards the building, realizing I see no familiar faces, and don't know anyone in the gym. The longest three hours of my life have started.

Sure enough, it seems like these three hours last a week. I decide although I didn't want to be there, I would give my best effort. Once I let my negative feelings go and my skills and determination take over, I know I have the talent to make the team. The coach blows the whistle and tells us "Good job" and to "be ready for tomorrow." The next few days of tryouts have me striving to succeed. The last day of tryouts has come, three hours left and I am done, or so I thought.

A week later I receive the following news: I made the team. The uncertainty of the next three months seems overwhelming. I think of the challenging season ahead of me and wonder how it will change me.

The hard work, dedication, and determination that went into the next three months changed my life. Reflecting back, I realize not going to tryouts would have been a mistake. I learned the meaning of teamwork and the importance of achieving my goals. I found to achieve a goal is not only an instant but also a continual reward.

Completing my college education is now one of those goals. I am proudly enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to further my education. Not only will I receive an outstanding education in the next four years, but in college I will be faced with challenging situations and difficult times. However, I will be able to work through these obstacles because of my self confidence and focus, because of the things I have learned from events in the past, such as being on the basketball team.

Deciding to tryout for the basketball team is similar to my decision on a major. When I think about what I would like to do for a career there are considerations I must make. I hope to enroll in a variety of classes in order to experience different possibilities for my future. In order to be successful while enjoying my career, I must keep an open mind regarding what major will be best for me. Once I choose my major, I want to be making the right decision. The wrong decision could change things in my life, and I want to proceed through my education taking full advantage of the opportunities available to me.

My hard work in school the past fourteen years has provided me with the opportunity to continue my education at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, as well as another opportunity to challenge myself further. I deserve the Alvin Cox Memorial Scholarship because I am a student who will always accept new challenges in order to reach my ultimate goals. The journey that goes along with each challenge will be my reward.