1272 Mill Dam Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
April 15, 2015
Judges, Senior Project Board
First Colonial High School
1272 Mill Dam Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Dear Judges:
Throughout these seven months, I have dealt with immense stress, suffered through long, heavy workloads, struggled to meet deadlines, battled through endless research and have been on the brink of surrender more times than I can count. Writing a 20-page paper and putting together a complex project has made up the busiest and most stressful time in my life – and out of it, emerged the most rewarding experience I have ever had.
When I began my journey on the road to success, I couldn’t even speak in front of another person without feeling nervous and awkward. Not to mention public speaking – the apogee of my fears; the mere thought of talking in front of a room full of people made me shake. When I began my journey, I relied on procrastination for all of my assignments. When I began my journey, I did not have confidence in myself, nor was I dedicated to any project I undertook, nor was I sure that I would ever find something I am passionate about. Senior project changed all of that. Perseverance, practice, and challenging myself changed all of that.
Completing this project has allowed me to do more than improve my skills, however. Throughout this year, I have become more socially aware through research that I conducted in order to prepare my project. I have re-evaluated my ideas of education and changed the way I see myself and others in a more positive, optimistic way. Most importantly, I have found something that I am passionate about. Discovering some of the connections that link together to compose a society has been a huge part of my research. As a result of this, I have grown to value sociology as an important, most rewarding study, and therefore have decided to become a sociologist with a focus in education. My goal is to not only improve the United States education system, but completely change the way we see education. It is more than a means to an end. Education is life itself.
This project has allowed me to grow in ways I never dreamed were possible. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and look over my project. I hope you find them interesting.
Sincerely,
Matthew A. Goad