I FINALLY CLICKED "SUBMIT"!!!!!!!!! I am so happy because I feel as if I can finally breathe again. Although I am happy now, this morning did not start off so great.
Here is a little re-cap to the madness:
On friday, I had sent my supplemental materials (transcripts, letters of rec., etc) to the scholarship organization I am applying with, and sent them via the next day express service. I was in line at the post office at about 3:30p.m., there were only 4 people ahead of me in line, so I was not worrying too much about the cut-off for the express mail to be sent out being 4:15p.m.
After texting on my phone in line and realizing I had not moved for about 7 minutes, I looked up to see the same 2 customers at the windows. One customer was getting into a heated argument with the employee, while the other customer and employee were having issues understanding each other's accents. At 4:30pm, I was finally the number 2 person in line. Thankfully, a woman who worked there came out to help expedite the process and saw me in line with an express package and told me that the cut-off time had passed. When she saw that my package was going to a scholarship program, she told me that she would go out back to stop the truck. She hurriedly came back inside to help me, rushed me to the front window and had me processed, and my scholarship packet was on it's way to Washington, D.C. to be reviewed by those who held the fate of the Boren Scholarship recipients in their hands.
This morning, as I logged onto the U.S.P.S. website to track my order, my heart sank as I read that my scholarship packet, my future, my ticket to Russia, had not been delivered because there was not a recipient to receive the package, and that it would be mailed back to me tomorrow. I frantically called the Boren Scholarship office to ask if packages that are not delivered one day are delivered the next. The nice lady who answered told me that generally, if nobody is there to claim a package, the postal service brings it again the next day, which has been my experience in the past with packages. But I called the post office to confirm my beliefs and they told me that was incorrect. They said that since this was express mail, the only way for my materials to be re-sent to my recipients would be if my recipients were to either go to the post office themselves and pick up the package (which, there is no way this would ever happen since offices deal with hundreds and thousands off applicants) or if the organization called the u.s.p.s. and gave the authorization for my package to be re-sent, and told me there was no other way for the situation to be handled. (this also never would happen since once again, people working in any large scale scholarship foundation are not going to go through the hassle for one applicant, especially if this means having to listen to extremely long voice recordings the U.S.P.S. has you listen to).
This is when it happened. The waterworks. Yes, it is a bit embarassing to admit it, but I felt as if my dreams were being crushed. I felt as if I had done everything right, and I worked so hard with my application, and those who had written me letters of recommendation had worked so hard writing those letters for me. And to just know that they would never be read because they'd get sent back to me, and miss the deadline....that just broke my heart.
I then called the scholarship office to tell them my situation. I was not crying anymore, but I think the nice girl on the other end of the phone could hear the sadness in my voice, especially when I told her, "I don't even know what to do anymore...." because I didn't. I knew I had tried everything in my power, and because with one issue with the post office, I would not even have a chance to compete for the scholarship.
Ths nice girl, Robin, who had been helping me during this conversation finally told me that she would look through the mail to see, if by some chance, it had been delivered, even though the u.s.p.s. tracker failed to show so. Those minutes I was on the phone with her as she was looking for my packet seemed to stretch a century. Finally, she ecstatically said, "I have it in my hands!!!"
She then said she'd confirm the tracking number for me, and as she slowly read those numbers to me, I felt as if the news announcer was reading the winning numbers to a lottery ticket that I had in my hand. We both lauged together, and I think she was probably just as relieved as I was. I could not thank her enough as I bid her farewell, and jumped on the computer to click the submit button for the other portion of my scholarship application. My application had now been officially sent. Now the application is in the hands of another whom, I hope, will decide to pick me for this wonderful scholarship. I feel like I can finally breathe again..... :)
p.s.- I would like to thank the following:
-Amy and Robin at the Boren Scholarship office for answering my many questions I would have for them whenever I'd call, and Robin for going that extra mile to find my packet among all the other mail.
-Chief Robert Parks (the San Fernando Police Department) and Dr. Unnna Lassiter (California State University, Long Beach-Geography Department). These amazing individuals took the time out of their life and crazy schedules to write me very sincere letters of recommendation. I have known Chief Parks since I was about ten years old, and have known Dr. Lassiter for one semester, but both have equally been very helpful to me, and I am very appreciative.
-Dr. Harold Schefski (California State University, Long Beach-Russian Department). Professor Schefski is the driving force behind my desire to learn Russian. I knew that I loved the culture and language before meeting him, but he
really made me want to learn about it. Not only is he patient with teaching me Russian, but he is one of the sweetest professors I have ever had, and he really cares about his students. I hope to one day be as knowledgeable about the Russian culture and language as he is. (He also wrote me a letter of rec. )
-Linda Olson-Levy for helping me even when she didn't need to. This woman was the campus representative at my school, and had already retired before I began my application process, but was nice enough to stay up late nights with me to help me edit my essays and just to answer any questions that I had. I really cannot thank this woman enough because I felt all alone in the application process until one day, she came along, like a Christmas miracle, to help me.
-The nice woman at the post office who ran around to get my package sent. I do not know her name, but I am very grateful for her. She is another person who didnt have to help me, but did it anyways.
-Michael Rogers, for helping me to calm down when I was panicking about my whole u.s.p.s. situation, and for just being there for me every step of the way. I am a very lucky girl to have you in my life. Ya lyublyu tebya :)
Even if I don't get the scholarship, I will know that I tried my best, and am very grateful for those people in my life who really tried to help me get this scholarship. I cannot thank these people enough.
Now all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that I get this scholarship :)
