What Higher Education Means to Me: A Scholarship Essay

Introduction and Purpose

I am writing this personal essay with the hope of securing a scholarship opportunity. I am 48 years old and currently balancing the roles of wife, mother, grandmother, Army veteran, and aspiring university student. The experiences that have shaped my life—illness, military service, cultural background, and an enduring belief in the power of education—all converge in this application, and I share them here as honestly as I can.

A Breast Cancer Diagnosis That Changed Everything

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it was the most earth-shattering experience I have ever had. This diagnosis made me realize a number of profound things. First, I was forced to confront my own mortality—the fact that this precious life could be taken from me. I am a wife and mother of two children, and I also have two grandchildren whom I love very dearly. At that point, there was no way I would allow myself to leave them. I knew I had to fight, and it was quite a struggle.

Second, the experience made me realize that I had not yet reached my fullest human potential. There were still so many things I wanted to do and so many goals I still wanted to pursue. Third, this hardship strengthened my faith in my Creator and in the people around me who stood by my side. The love and patience I felt from them was more than enough inspiration to help me survive.

I am glad to say that my struggle paid off. With the help of my family, my relatives, and the kind and generous people who contributed to my treatments, my doctors gave me a clean bill of health.

Being a breast cancer survivor is something I see from two general perspectives. First, it is a blessing—I have been given a chance to continue living this wonderful life and to remain with the ones I love. Second, and more importantly, I see it as a responsibility. Not everyone gets the opportunity to survive cancer. Not everyone gets the chance to have generous sponsors who help cover the cost of treatment. For that reason, it has become my personal advocacy to help other cancer patients in any way I can.

Family Background and Breaking Cultural Barriers

My father is Filipino, and I grew up within a mentality that viewed women in a rather subservient light. In my family, it was believed that women should not be seen and should not be heard. I wanted to move beyond that kind of thinking, which is why, in 1980, I did what others around me did not dare to do.

I knew I had to act, or I would regret it for the rest of my life. That year, I stepped into an Air Force recruiting office filled with hope of entering that prestigious institution. I had always dreamed of becoming a pilot. However, those dreams dissolved the moment I set foot inside, when the recruiter laughed me out of his office and told me that women were not allowed to become pilots. It was a painful rejection, but it did not stop me from seeking another path to serve.

The experience of pushing against cultural expectations—both within my family and within institutions—has only deepened my understanding of why education and advocacy matter, particularly for women from communities where their voices have historically been silenced. Resources such as women in the US military show how steadily those barriers have been challenged over time.