For the 4th Annual Christensen Realty Group Scholarship Award, graduating high school seniors in Park Village were invited to write an essay response to the book “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg and John David Mann. Students were asked to focus on which one of the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success they identified with most and write a 500 word essay in which they would be evaluated based on the following:

1. Ability to articulate why you identify with the law you choose to write about.
2. How applying that law to your own life will encourage your personal success.
3. The use of examples from your own life and others.

Nathan has always wanted a family and hopes to meet someone in the next ten years he can share his life with. He says, “Life can be very overwhelming at times so I have learned to make goals and plans, but take things one day at a time, stay away from social media whenever possible, and put my physical and mental well-being first.”

Gina Bahen, Nathan’s mom expressed her appreciation by sharing, “Your scholarship will truly make a difference in Nathan’s educational journey and our entire family will be forever thankful for your kindness, support and exposure to the “Law of Authenticity”. Nathan has always stood for doing the right thing and being inclusive. This just shows him that it all does in fact pay off, being authentic hasn’t always been the easy way to go but it is a part of him, and the book exemplifies this.  And let’s face it, it is what has gotten him into CAL POLY SLO so he must be doing something right! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for seeing that his authenticity and attention to detail “following the parameters of this scholarship” which allowed him to meet all the criteria has truly “paid off” in being your scholarship recipient.” 

The Winning Essay:

“Giving One More Essay” by Nathan Bahen
I opened the first page of The Go-Giver thinking that I would get more of the same stereotypical business pointers that only the richest executives could apply to their life. I could have cared less about what Bob Burg and John David Mann had to say through the lens of a cheezy, idealized story. However, my cynical perspective shifted over the course of the book. I was moved by each simple yet applicable law of success; the best part was one law’s overbearing practicality outside of the realm of business.

I was quite impacted by the genuine real estate broker, Debra Davenport. She was a bit irritating to read at first, but her rise to success with authenticity struck a personal chord within me. I’ve always had a hard time opening up and being vulnerable with others, so I was always “putting on some act or behavior someone else taught” me to adapt to my surroundings. I had no way of “truly reaching people” when that’s what I desired most (Burg and Mann 87). It opened my eyes when she drove the point home: “No matter what you think you’re selling, what you’re really offering is you” (Burg and Mann 88). Debra’s immaculate use of her authentic self didn’t exactly turn my world upside down, but it did remind me just how effective humility can be.

My band director embodies several aspect of the law of authenticity. As a senior who is part of an evolving band community, there is no person I know better than him. Not only is he honest enough to construct blunt criticism for our mistakes, but also he talks (more like rants) about his life like we were his closest family and friends. I got to know about his personal adult problems of financing a new house 10 seconds after he cried in the middle of our wind ensemble’s moving performance. If he wasn’t such an authentic person and an emotionally in-tune guy, our band experience would never have been the same. Band is like family, after all. To be honest, college is coming around the corner for me and I’m feeling several mixed emotions of dread and excitement. There are so many unknowns, and my path to a successful life is still so far away.

If I could focus on something that I could do in college to make Debra Davenport proud, I would embrace my quirky band kid energy everywhere I go. I won’t just show up to class, take notes, and wait to become acquainted with the first classmate who talks to me. I want to garner new relationships and experiences in exchange for offering myself up to others, even if it means facing rejection head-on for being divergent. And once these relationships are established, my authenticity will be integral in holding them together in the long term. Thanks to the insightful laws of The Go-Giver, I’ll hopefully meet a special someone to spend my quality time with long after college graduation.