RDC Paving The Way Scholarship
(CURRENTLY CLOSED)
RDC Paving believes in helping determined, persistent, and hard working students achieve their goals and dreams. Therefore, we created our Paving The Way Scholarship to help deserving young students get a head start on their education which will “pave the way” for a brighter future.
2020 Scholarship Winner
Congratulations to the following deserving student who has earned a $500 scholarship from RDC Paving:
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- Jazmine Holloway, University of Central Florida (winning essay below)
“There comes a time when a person starts to want more out of life and realize that the world is full of endless possibilities, but there are tough choices to be made. Growing up I was a passionate individual and now I am voracious. There was so much I wanted to become as opposed to the sought-after choices. Those popular choices my childhood friends chose typically consisted of; a dancer, a doctor, a policeman, an astronaut, and the list is endless, but for me I wanted to understand the Earth. I wanted to learn not only what made the world tick, but how to survive and how to save the ecosystem and all the creatures that have been placed here, many of which are now on the brink of extinction. Wanting to study the environment was a challenge growing up in my neighborhood. According to my surrounding neighbors there are doctors for cures, there are plenty of food sources, gas is easily obtainable and anything mankind designed could not be too harmful if it was created and backed by laws because our politicians know what is best. As I have matured, I have learned not all politicians care for what is best, especially when it gets in the way of making a profit and not any of what my neighbors said was true. Looking back, I am that child that budded heads with ignorance. I am the child everyone called weird. I am that child that would rescue any animal in danger even if the animal were considered a harmful one. I am the girl that stood up to bullies. I am the woman that wants to lead a better future for humanity and to do this I must be knowledgeable and be willing to show others how one should treat their home planet. It is funny because all the facts I stated as a child to my family and neighbors came to fruition, and now the world is scrambling for solutions. Currently, I attend University of Central Florida majoring in environmental studies and eventually environmental law, and at long last getting the education necessary to survive and to thrive.
To be successful first and foremost, one must Want to be successful. A person must strive hard and dig deep within themselves to not get pulled into the chaotic life that cycles around numerous individuals. Yes, motivation is key, but working hard and sticking to one’s standards will be that difference. Presently I find myself fighting against the grind of today’s social norms. I have learned that material needs are more significant than ideal needs in today’s society, but that a backwards line of thought. To make it in this world, one must recognize that we cannot have it all and our material needs do not take precedent. Once I realized that I was starting to get sucked into the monotonous cycle people call living, I gritted my teeth and started to climb. My kid gloves came off and I started to volunteer for experience and to be part of something more than myself, I attended forums and I quit my full-time job that was on the verge of giving me a heart attack to go back to school full-time. No longer was I all talk and looking through a window, now I have an open door. People say, the world is evolving, but I have a theory of my own, “We are evolving to devolve (regress)”. Sure, mankind is at the top of the food chain, but at what cost? In addition, one must have respect for one another and this planet. The world is being taken for granted, it is not as resilient as one may suspect.
As the centuries have passed mankind have far surpassed the competitive stage; technology is better, and ideas are coming faster and faster. Every achievement is put on a pedestal and typically one is not accepted among colleagues unless they are “wiser”, and their achievement has been recognized. So how will I be successful in this highly competitive world when devotion apparently is not enough? For me it is simple, just being respectful and willing to get callouses. Now do not get me wrong, I can be quite competitive, but when the end goal is the same, who am I supposed to be fighting? The world is now recognizing the need for damage control. In the words of Michelle Obama, “Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives,” and being part of the solution to our ecosystem will enrich more than just people’s lives. Now at this point in my life I find myself in retrospect. Though outspoken, I have acknowledged that today’s social norms almost swallowed me whole, but these norms are not my own. Yes, one must give respect, but one should also command respect. I have set a paradigm for myself and attending University of Central Florida is giving me back the control that almost got lost in the cycle.
Have you ever just found that sense of calm in this tumultuous world? Helping the environment and all that has been graciously placed here is my sense of calm. Hearing the birds singing at dawn can at times be exasperating, but I would rather hear a pretty song then no sound at all. Pollution is here and it is affecting the circle of life. My goal is to stop deforestation, stop over consumption, stop polluting, stop hunting for sport, stop going to war and the list continues. It is like people do not truly notice the harm they are causing, yet according to studies they do. People are being blatantly mindless in their actions, wasting food, littering, etc.… I fear speaking my true thoughts on how to correct this, but I feel it is the best way explain how to succeed. I have stated earlier that politicians do not always do what is right, but I err on the side of caution when I say the system needs to be drastically reformed. New and different laws need to be put into place because mankind is acquisitive and to be left to our own devices may be more of a price than we are willing to pay. Or is this survival of the fittest? May the best man “win,” though what the winner will receive may just be a condemned world, if there is anything left at that point. Respect, it is a start because as of, yet I have not witnessed any. Respect for ourselves, for others and for Mother Earth. As you see I too am evolving.”