While sitting at my all black makeup vanity, a random number flashed across my screen. I’m always wary about answering random numbers. It seems that they all turn out to be bill collectors trying to steal your personal information. This number felt different. I was intrigued and wanted to answer it.

    I picked up the phone and gave a gentle hello. The voice on the other end asked for me. Within the first couple seconds the lady on the other end had told me that I had won a $25,000 scholarship. My mouth dropped and the words seemed to vanish. 

    Soon after winning the scholarship I was told that I would have to attend a week long conference to receive the money. Information on the conference was limited. The only thing I knew was I had to get on a train in Wilmington and get off in Washington DC. While getting off the train in DC I would look for a tall skinny man holding a sign with my name on it. He would then take me to my destination.

    This whole scenario seemed very fake and scary to me. I brushed it off and forgot about it for a week or two. Then things started arriving in the mail from this organization. I received my train tickets to and from and I received checks in the mail to buy certain outfits I had to wear.

    The day of the conference I decided to take a leap of faith and get on the train. After arriving my whole perspective on the situation had changed. I was no longer scared, but excited. I met other people at the train station that had won the same scholarship as me from all across the country. I no longer had to be scared of the unknown. 

    Those in charge of the conference had put everyone at ease. They explained that information was limited because being inducted into the family is a big deal that many will not experience. Towards the end of the conference I was happy that I had made the decision to go and I no longer viewed the situation in a negative way. The Horatio Alger family welcomed me with loving arms and took away the bad connotation of the conference.