When I walk into my room, two things catch my eye. The first is a large shiny silver cup seated on a solid black stone pedestal that proclaims “FIRST PLACE NATIONAL QUALIFER”. The second is a small brown plaque imprinted with the single word “Alternate”. Even though the cup caries an air of prestige and accomplishment, that tiny plaque means profoundly more to me. To me, that plain looking piece of wood represents one of the most difficult life lessons...

I applied for a ton of scholarships, but I didn't receive that many of them....

Quirky, fun,...