On Friday December 2nd, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the inauguration of the 13th president of my university; Glenn Cummings. For this event, faculty were encouraged to nominate one or two students, whom they felt excelled in various aspects of education. At first, I was a bit apprehensive to agree to this because for someone who hates being the center of attention, walking in a processional was just about the last thing that I wanted to do. However, after some encouragement from my mother and the desire to not disappoint the professor that nominated me, I decided to attend. I am so glad that I went; not only will this look great on my resume, but I also had a wonderful day with my family as well. Now, I would like to share with you what being a scholar means to me.

S: Success. Striving to achieve to the best of your abilities, at all times.

C: Charismatic. A sign of a true scholar is possessing the ability to befriend and work with people from diverse backgrounds.

H:Humble. Scholar’s should not flaunt their brilliance, but rather work to improve the areas in which they are lacking. This is not to say only focus on the negatives, but to remember that there is always going to be someone out there who knows more than you.

O: Open Minded. Being open to new ideas, perspectives, and ideologies is part of what allows a scholar to expand their education by taking into account multiple points of view.

L: Leadership. A scholar should ideally be someone who doesn't mind taking charge, in order to get things accomplished.

A: Ambitious. Having goals for the future and a clear-cut plan on how to go about obtaining them is the key to success.
R: Researcher. Going above and beyond what is expected for assignments by conducting your own outside research, to better educate yourself on a variety of topics.

I hope that as an Inaugural Scholar, I possess at least a few of these qualities. I am incredibly honored that I was chosen to participate in what was such an integral part of my college career. Since I was young, I have always enjoyed learning as much as I possibly could about the subjects that I am passionate about; I hope to continue this seemingly endless quest for knowledge throughout my life. Also, knowing when to accept praise and recognition is an important aspect of being a well-rounded scholar. I have a difficult time receiving acknowledgment for my achievements and I tend to focus more on what I am doing wrong, than the things that I am doing well. I hope to change this mentality in the future, to better learn from my failures and celebrate my achievements. Personally, I think that being a scholar is not about being brilliant, but rather about being educated enough to not just accept the facts that you know, but to challenge them. Everyone has the ability to be a scholar.