Not just academic dreams

I have loved to sing since I was little, but only recently have I gained the courage to sing in front of other people. That courage came in handy last May when I entered a singing contest in Rocky Mount. It was a contest called "Dashboard Idol," and the winner would receive $2,127.
I had been stressing out about how I was going to pay for my meal plan this year because I didn't have a job and my parents were going to make me pay for it. One night, I was watching television and saw the ad for this contest. I looked at my mom and I said, "I have to do this."
I first had to register and my name had to be drawn out of the box to even get to come. Well, my name was drawn and they told me to be there. I was so stoked!
That morning I went to Rocky Mount and I found out that there was a list of songs that they would be choosing from. I looked at the list and I knew the lyrics to about half of them so I was really nervous as to when they would draw my name and what song I would end up getting. Another thing I found out was that there were only 10 people in the contest, it was supposed to be 45. That added pressure because the odds were in my favor.
Every contestant's name was drawn to choose the order. Each contestant went behind the wheel of a car and had to sing the song that came on with enthusiasm, knowledge of the lyrics, and a good singing voice. Most of the contestants were forgetting the lyrics, so I became even more nervous not to forget my lyrics.
I was the next to the last name to be drawn and I walked up, got in the car, and the song "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson came on. I was like "uh oh, I haven't sung this song in years!" However, once it started, all the words came back to me. I didn't forget a single lyric!
After all the contestants had their turn, the judges went to deliberate. They came back and said, "Our winner had a perfect score, and now she has money for college.... the winner is Ashley Jackson." When I walked up to receive my trophy, I teared up once again thinking how ANOTHER dream came true. I didn't listen to everybody when they said that my chances of winning were slim to none, I knew that I could do it. It was up to me, not anyone else.