Scholarship : the character, qualities, activity, or attainments of a scholar. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Being a student has been my life for the past 12-13 years. Since I came to college, being a scholar has been my life for the past two year. Being a scholar has transformed my learning to an active and never-ending, present and engaged, observant and interactive role. The honors college at Longwood has helped me realize what being a scholar and pursuing being a scholar is. Striving to always be a scholar is something that I’ve come to find a greater appreciation for. I have learned that being a scholar is not always about how you are growing as a student or individual, but how you are pushing others to grow as well. One thing that Longwood has taught me is how to respectfully engage in difficult conversations with individuals who may take a contrasting stance. It is my privilege to grow in knowledge, especially in topics and areas that I am particularly passionate about, throughout my time at Longwood. Scholarship has demonstrated to me how I am not a robot designed to sit and memorize content, but an individual with the capability to take what I learn and change the world.
“True scholarship consists in knowing not what things exist, but what they mean; it is not memory but judgment.” – James Russell Lowell