Until this year, I had no goals. I was just at college to be there, like all my other friends, but this year things changed. I have been a student at Des Moines Area Community College since 2009, but I was only part-time until last semester. During my last semester, I realized that education is no longer a game. It is a way for me to have a better life and benefit not only me and my future family, but also to the community around me. There are a lot of people in this world who aren't lucky enough to go to college, but luckily for me, I'm not one of them. I am one of the chosen few who was given a chance at a better life, but, until recently, I had not put all my effort into school and probably would have dropped out of school without the people in my life who cared enough to help me realize how important education is. My father and mother were shining examples in my life that if you want something, you have to go out and get it. My father was a farmer all his life and worked in a construction company that he started for several years. He is now faculty director of Cornerstone Church and still farms several hundred acres. The most important thing I've ever learned in my life is that if you want something, you have to go after it. My dad woke up at 4:56 a.m. every day my entire life, whether he was sick or not. There are no sick days when you have livestock in your care or when you have crops to tend. Watching his example over the years has inspired me to do everything I can and do whatever it takes to succeed. My mother has many of the same attributes that I love about my father. She is a hard worker, but she is also a perfect...... middle of paper...... and I would benefit greatly from any financial support I receive through the the Des Moines Area Community College Foundation. I have worked and taken out student loans to pay for my education throughout my college experience, but I believe I would be an excellent candidate to receive a scholarship. I work very hard to make sure my grades are high and that I do everything in my power to achieve the goals I set for myself. I want to succeed and I believe an education is vital to getting the job I want and becoming the revolutionary I feel I can be. I would be honored to receive anything I am qualified for and will work my best to ensure that the money given to me is spent to further my education and development as a person. Thank you for this opportunity.