EOD is so proud to announce our 2016 Roadmap to Success Essay Contest Winner, MawLi!

For our essay contest, students were asked to reflect on their futures. In a one-page essay, students either reflected on how their own strengths would impact their futures, their community, and their world, or they imagined themselves 10 years in the future. MawLi decided to reflect on her own strengths and how they will impact her ability to be an amazing culinary chef!

MawLi is  a student at D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School. For her victory, she wins a bag of college gear from her dream college, Texas A&M.

MawLi’s essay is featured below, check out her awesome dreams for how her “MawLi Powers” will light up her life!

         “My parents have always told me that strengths define an individual from early childhood to college. I have learned that I have a unique set of strengths that many students don’t possess. I call it my power “MawLi Powers”! It includes my selfless ability to love, my ability to support teammates, and my unwavering perseverance.

         My “MawLi Powers” will assist me in making college and career decisions. My first power, love, has made me determined to be a culinary chef. Haven’t you heard the saying “cooking with love provides food for the soul”? My second power, teamwork, will help me when I become a culinary chef. In any restaurant, there are many professional chefs that collaborate; if we don’t our customers would suffer. My final “MawLi Power” is my unwavering perseverance. I will be the first person in my family to attend college and obtain a career in the culinary field. Being a native from Myanmar, I have tackled many obstacles like being unable to speak English, learning to translate for my family, and adapting to American cultures. Through all of my challenges, I’ve kept sight of pursuing my goals. 

         With my “MawLi Powers” I will give back to my community. My unconditional love helps me to have compassion for everyone who is suffering from hunger. After receiving my certification in culinary arts, I plan to open my own restaurant. I’ve heard that many restaurants have extra food at the close of business, so I plan to donate the remaining food to the needy, and give discounts to my loyal customers to show them that I care and appreciate their support. 

         Like Superman, I will use my “Mawli Powers” to help me achieve my college and career goals as well as help others in my community.”

We also have more remarkable students to celebrate! Our two runner-ups are also amazing young women who have big dreams for their futures. RaKayla is a sixth grader at D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School, and Amber is a sixth grader who attends Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School. Their wonderful essays are featured below.

Our honorable mentions are Caitlan, a seventh grader at Raul Quintanilla Middle School, and Ingrid, a sixth grader at D.A. Hulcy Middle School. Both students wrote inspiring essays about their big futures to come!

Below is Amber’s compassionate and beautiful essay about her journey to becoming a doctor.

I remember 10 years ago when I was 12 years old how my dream was to become a doctor.  Ever since I’ve been in school I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. I was always encouraged by my family to follow my dreams and to never listen to those who say I can’t. I always worked hard in all my work at school and at home.  I have been encouraged to be a doctor because I want to save people’s lives. I want them to be happy. I know how it feels to have someone you really love become really sick to where they can’t walk right or pass away. I don’t want people to go through what I have been through. I want others to be very glad to know that they are very healthy and have nothing bad going on in their lives, just love their lives. 

I think I would be a great doctor because I can love any patient that comes in. I could treat the patient that is hurt with love while treating them. I also have appreciation of Beauty because people that have illnesses or don’t look so well, I can tell them they look nice. I can have hope for people when they are really sick that they feel like giving up. I can grab their hand, make them feel better, and tell them to never give up hope. 

And here is RaKayla’s essay about her journey to becoming a law student:

10 years ago I was a student at D.A. Hulcy, now I am a Baylor Law student. Currently I am 21 years old and is studying to become a lawyer. Everything that has happened during the past 10 years has not been easy, but high school was when I decided to become a lawyer. 
Middle school was fairly easy, except for the occasional pop quizzes. I aced everything they through at us and decided I wanted to become the 1st African American female president. After I decided to become the 1st African American female president I started of thinking of ways to get that far, but I didn’t come up with many reasons, so I gave it up and went back to trying to find my future career. 
High school on the other hand was like a yoyo. Sometimes things were good, other times things didn’t go my way. I still aced all my classes and graduated at the top of my class and became a valedictorian, but that was the second best moment of my high school experience. The best high school experience for me was when we had career day and our guest was a lawyer. She told us “Becoming a lawyer is not for everyone. You have to graduate as an honor student”. After she said that I immediately thought I had the qualifications to become a lawyer. 
After my graduation and valedictorian speech I was surprised to see a college scout from Baylor Law, so I walked over to the scout and asked him if he needed directions. He said” No, I am looking for RaKayla Jones”. I said “That is me”. He said” I want to offer you a scholarship to Baylor Law”. After that moment I went brain dead and just nodded my head.

Thank you so much to all of the students who worked to submit essays. Your dreams are inspiring, and we are so sure that you will become exactly what you decide to be!