Direct Textbook is proud to announce the winner of the 2020 High School Senior Scholarship Essay Contest. At Direct Textbook, we are proud to support students seeking aid for their college experience.

Meet the winner of the 2020 High School Senior Scholarship Essay Contest, Avery King!

Avery will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall and is planning to study interior design. Avery told us that she has always had a love for design and house hunting shows such as those on HGTV. She cannot wait to pursue a dream of becoming an interior designer. Avery said, “My family and I have always loved to travel and I have had the opportunity to go on several mission based trips to third world countries. My dream is to combine my love for travel with my love for design by opening my own store and hopefully in the long run being able to deliver low cost materials and design ideas to those in poverty stricken countries.”

Here is Avery’s winning essay addressing this year’s prompt: “Imagine, in the not too distant future, you’re walking across the stage to receive your college diploma. Which part of your character did you develop the most, and how did it help you achieve success?”

“Ambition, creativity, consideration, dependability, drive, diligence, grit, honesty, logic, organization, passion, respect, trustworthiness! The list of character attributes goes on and on. In the dance of life, each of these traits deems itself necessary in order to stay in sync with the maturation process. And while my growing character will continue to sway in and out of rhythm with each of them, as I promenade across the stage of college graduation, I bow fully to initiative, industriousness, and integrous.

I slow-danced more often with these three traits because they challenge me to move in different patterns of thought. I had to practice them in independence in many decisions and also get in sync with others to incorporate them into my college dance.

Integrity was my private dance. It taught me foremost the importance of truthfulness to myself. I learned to recognize my strengths and weaknesses and be honest with who I was. It became a personal battle to adhere to a code of moral values where temptations swarmed my intellect. I loved and hated the responsibility of integrity, it created such a self awareness for me. Apart from my parents, I became solely accountable to my beliefs and values. I learned through failure to uphold the truth about how I felt and what I believed. Becoming honest with myself allowed my thoughts and actions to become congruent and I grew into someone who is trustworthy and true.

Initiative taught me that I have the ability to assess things independently, to be resourceful and use my imagination and creativity. It depended on my common sense and beckoned my inventiveness to become part of my personality. My drive and determination increased as I became more capable each year in college of making independent decisions about my future. Initiative has become my two-step dance, giving me the opportunity to take charge of my life as I move forward in adulthood.

Industriousness also has taught me new moves. I have learned to work devotedly with purpose and diligence. She has taught me to do the hustle of hard work to increase my skills. I love the pizazz and energy I have caught by following her footsteps. I am more motivated and have the ability to finish work rather than procrastinate. Industriousness has revived me and brought a freshness to my work ethic. Like initiative, it is essential in overcoming defeat. Like integrity, it is a necessity for self examination and motivation to make life time little girl dreams realities. Industriousness gave me better grades in my classes and encouraged me to sign up and engage in campus offerings like clubs, internships and sports.
Although the college hustle is behind me, I foresee many tangos in my future. I am more excited, more prepared, more vulnerable, more willing and more able to ‘cut a rug’ in uncharted destinies as the progression of life continues its natural process of forming my character.”

Direct Textbook offers a variety of scholarship opportunities including a haiku and photo essay contest. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on upcoming scholarships.