3.4 Kenzy Holger Writing 1

I Told You I Could Do It

I walked down the driveway to my mailbox, my mom watching me from the window as I almost slipped and fell on the ice. I had checked the mail everyday for acceptance letters from any of the colleges I had begun applying to. I was on a mission to prove I was more than just my grades. And that's just what I did. I'd gotten into three separate colleges of my choice without the flashy report card.  

All throughout high school I was pulling mediocre grades. It wasn't because I wasn't smart, I just didn't really care all that much. In my sophomore and junior years, my parents were on my back about how I needed to get better grades so I had the option of going to college. Did it work? Not even a little. Despite my grades, I thought I had a pretty good shot at getting into the schools I wanted to attend. No, I wouldn't be a Harvard pick, but I had a good ACT score and participated in many extracurriculars that would look good to an admissions office. 

I remember when my mom opened the front door just to say, "I don't know what you're so excited about." I continued my march to the mailbox, a little more nervous about what I would see when I opened it up. I was so excited when I saw two large envelopes taking up the majority of the space. I pulled them out so fast, the rest of the mail ended up in the snow. University of Montana and University of Iowa stared me right in the face. 

"Mom!", I yelled. "Mom I told you so! I told you I could do it!" I ran to the door, two thick envelopes in hand. I handed her the envelopes to prove it to her. I honestly don't think she has ever been as proud of me as she was in that moment. I had done exactly what I set out to do: I proved I had more than my grades, and that was good enough. 

I knew I couldn't afford to go to either of those schools without scholarships, and the FAFSA wouldn't fund me enough to pay for even a semester. However, I was still proud of myself, and received another acceptance to University of Wisconsin-River Falls a few days later. This is where I ended up attending for a short while. All that mattered to me was that I had the proof that I could do anything I set my mind to, even if it was a bumpy ride to get there.