In twenty years, as a board member of a scholarship selection committee, I would award the 17-year-old me a scholarship not because I am simply answering the prompt in my favor, but because I know that the 17-year-old me's dream is to go to college to gain a higher education and has made learning a high priority since elementary school.
The 17-year-old me is determined, hard-working, and understands the struggle of having little money, so I would know that the scholarship would not go to waste; she would use it so that her parents can ease their worry about how she is going to go to college, since they are not able to make any contributions. Knowing that her family earns little income, she has spent most of her high school years dedicating her time to her schoolwork, hoping that she would be qualified to earn scholarships during her senior year. During the other majority of her time, she has volunteered for over 300 hours at various locations and participating in school clubs and activities.…