INTOTHEBEST, Inc. Scholarship Semifinalist Lisa Herbst
Congratulations to Lisa Herbst from Lincoln-Way East High School
It was difficult selecting 8 semifinalists from 1,500 applications. There were many strong essays.
Lisa's Essay:
DC Talk in their song "Wanna be Loved" writes, "We all wanna be loved, We all want just a little respect." How true this is! The diverse personalities and perspectives of people in this world are ineffable; however, it is essential that people learn to respect others despite their differences. Those with similar characteristics, passions, goals, and beliefs tend to cling together. They generally have a mutual respect and liking for one another; however, in an interactive society like the one we live in, incompatible people are bound to cross paths. For me personally, though I crave approval from everyone, I realize that it is more important that I gain respect.
We all want love and respect, but when I must choose between the two I see that respect is much more meaningful than being liked. For one reason or another I may not like a person, but it may be that I do not understand them. When people are being true to themselves, without trying to impress others, I find it easier to respect them. I may not like who they are or what they stand for, but as long as they are living their own life I can respect them. This is the same way that I want people to view me. Though I certainly wish that people held my same beliefs and convictions, I know that does not always happen. People may criticize my way of living as a Christian, but I want them to respect me for following my convictions. I would rather have people dislike me for my lifestyle, but realize that I am not living for them, but for myself and my God.
Furthermore, with respect comes responsibility. I have the duty to continue living this lifestyle, otherwise it would appear that my faith is meaningless. I want that responsibility. If I stop being true to myself, I want people to notice. I need that responsibility to keep me going. If I am respected for how I live by others that lead very different lives I know I am on the right track. If I am disliked, I can take comfort in those people that do love me. Being true to myself is more important that what others may think.
I have learned that to get respect, I must also give respect. My parents brought me up teaching me to show respect to everyone: friends, family, authority, and even strangers. When others respect me, I can be proud of who I am and my actions. Being liked depends upon various opinions of people, but being respected lies within the responsibility of each one of us.
How IntotheBest's Essay Advice Helped Lisa
***The essay advice helped me to reword some of my sentences so that I did not use the conceited "I" as many times. I also fixed my introduction a little bit to make it more interesting and attention getting. I added "Furthermore" to make the transition from one paragraph to the other more smooth. I tried to eliminate of few words here and there that seemed unnecessary for the essay. Overall, I was surprised to find the advice helpful, and some of it new from what I've been taught before.
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