Anna Adamian
Future Alumni Essay Contest
2018 Runner-up
It started out as a pipe dream, a longing that I never thought I would ever be able to accomplish, let alone attempt. I had very little money, I did not own my own vehicle, and I had an overwhelming fear of failure and the unknown.
Since I was a child, I had dreamed of going to college, yet I always pictured myself strolling down the halls of an ivy league school touting a prominent degree. After graduation from high school, this dream unfortunately, faded into the oblivion as a series of extremely personal tragedies encompassed my life and I wrestled with the thought of graduating from college with a magnanimous debt…something I had vowed not to do.
After five long years of inactivity, a former graduate suggested that I attend Trident Technical College. At first, I declined the suggestion because it directly conflicted with the scope of my lifelong dream but after several months of contemplation, I decided to give my silent dream its own fighting chance.
I remember a sense of uncertainty engulfing my soul as I arrived at Trident for the first day of class and stared at a campus I was beholding for the first time in my life. I remember feeling the same ardent fear that had prohibited me from attending college for all those years but then I also remember feeling a small whispering courage taking root and propelling my feet to walk to my class in building 500, room 131, where my life changed forever.
I quickly learned that Trident Technical College is so much more than a public place for the masses to obtain a degree, it is a force for change and a positive influence on our society. At Trident Technical College one does not need to feel embarrassed for starting college late because Trident has proven itself to be a place that welcomes anyone from any race and sets us all on a new path towards success and service.
To me, Trident is a prominent school because it goes beyond merely delivering diplomas and seeks to give each and every student an education heavily steeped in life’s most valuable lessons. From the syllabi to the various class schedules, Trident promotes time-management, communication, and self-discipline; three of most critical tools needed to be successful in any atmosphere. Trident also defies the general opinion that students need a big-name degree from a big-named school in order to have a successful career and replaces that mentality with the true mindset that any person who is willing to apply themselves can achieve the equal status of success. Trident’s open embrace of equality and dedication to the success of each student has kept me at Trident for as long I can attend.
To me, Trident is a prominent school because it goes beyond merely delivering diplomas and seeks to give each and every student an education heavily steeped in life’s most valuable lessons. From the syllabi to the various class schedules, Trident promotes time-management, communication, and self-discipline; three of most critical tools needed to be successful in any atmosphere. Trident also defies the general opinion that students need a big-name degree from a big-named school in order to have a successful career and replaces that mentality with the true mindset that any person who is willing to apply themselves can achieve the equal status of success. Trident’s open embrace of equality and dedication to the success of each student has kept me at Trident for as long I can attend.
Technically, I was eligible to graduate this summer and was contacted by many colleges such as the Citadel and Cornell College seeking my early transfer, but I opted to stay at Trident for another year because Trident has become so much more than just a place for me to get my degree. Trident has become a place in which I feel that with every passing semester I am building critical skills that I will then be able to translate to my future career in the business world.
Trident has also set an outstanding example in giving back to the community and encouraging its student body to be involved in something greater than themselves. All across Trident’s campuses a spirit of care, concern, and compassion permeates the atmosphere as instructors and faculty members encourage students to take initiative in humanitarian roles that are important to them. Many students, including myself, have responded to this call and formed groups that have made a tremendous impact on our surrounding community.
Trident has also set an outstanding example in giving back to the community and encouraging its student body to be involved in something greater than themselves. All across Trident’s campuses a spirit of care, concern, and compassion permeates the atmosphere as instructors and faculty members encourage students to take initiative in humanitarian roles that are important to them. Many students, including myself, have responded to this call and formed groups that have made a tremendous impact on our surrounding community.
Take for instance the impact made in our community when the Phi Theta Kappa honor society founded an initiative that supplies food to our less fortunate students on campus. This gracious deed was then followed by the International Club, a club that devoted time and skill to help raise money and supplies for Puerto Rico after the Island was nearly decimated by a powerful hurricane. To list all the positive and impactful programs Trident is involved in would be too long for the scope of this essay, but I can attest to the fact that Trident’s desire to serve their community eclipses any goal of personal advancement.
To conclude this essay, I want to share a few personal experiences I have witnessed every time I share with someone that I am attending Trident Tech. Recently, I was at an event that hosted the Mayor of Summerville, Wiley Johnson. As we chatted, he asked me where I was attending school and when I replied Trident Tech, he said “Oh, that’s a very smart choice”. I also happened to speak recently with an agent from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division who asked where I was attending school, when I told him I go to Trident Tech he replied, “Oh, that’s a very smart choice”. Recently, I was also speaking to a friend, who I deeply admire and respect, about her career as business woman and entrepreneur. She recounted how she went to a prominent school and obtained a pricy degree but as we talked, she told me something I will never forget, she said, “Anna, if I could do it all over, I would go to Trident and get my degree from them”. When I asked why, she said, “Because it is a really smart choice”.
To conclude this essay, I want to share a few personal experiences I have witnessed every time I share with someone that I am attending Trident Tech. Recently, I was at an event that hosted the Mayor of Summerville, Wiley Johnson. As we chatted, he asked me where I was attending school and when I replied Trident Tech, he said “Oh, that’s a very smart choice”. I also happened to speak recently with an agent from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division who asked where I was attending school, when I told him I go to Trident Tech he replied, “Oh, that’s a very smart choice”. Recently, I was also speaking to a friend, who I deeply admire and respect, about her career as business woman and entrepreneur. She recounted how she went to a prominent school and obtained a pricy degree but as we talked, she told me something I will never forget, she said, “Anna, if I could do it all over, I would go to Trident and get my degree from them”. When I asked why, she said, “Because it is a really smart choice”.
To me, those three quotes sum up my experience at Trident Tech. Yes, Trident Tech is a smart choice for anyone looking to obtain a degree, but the real reason why Trident is such a good choice is because Trident dares to go beyond merely delivering diplomas and seeks to impart valuable lessons that will transform their alumni into compassionate citizens and powerful leaders.
Comments
Post a Comment