Stephen A. Jakubowski – 2nd Place Winner
10th Grade
Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School
“Grit and Integrity”
Integrity. The word carries a powerful aura about it, a feeling of strength and staunch morality, of nobility and wholesomeness. Integrity, upon initially examining it, appears foreign and unattainable, an abstract concept too great to be understood and internalized. It sits on a pedestal as a value for the titans of history, a value for the Abraham Lincolns and the Winston Churchills of the world. This definition, though convenient as an excuse for not living with integrity, is wholly inaccurate. Integrity is rather an essential facet of the well-formed personal philosophy, that voice inside us that forces us to act honorably and valiantly even if there will be no recognition or reward given for our efforts other than the ability to go to sleep at night with a peaceful consciousness.
A very important aspect of integrity is found in the syllables of the word itself: grit. Having grit, that deep sense of determination and resolve that refuses to yield to seemingly overwhelming opposition, is vital to having integrity because it represents a full effort of will and shows strength of character able to force ourselves to do what is right, especially when it isn’t easy. Grit gives us the dogged persistence to press on and persevere regardless of the penalty. It lends an unshakable mentality, needing to maintain personal dignity and respect by valuing every scrap of self-worth we have and piecing them together to make a heroic expression of ourselves and our
goals and missions. Grit is essential to integrity, not only because it represents the entire third syllable of the word, but also because even if you fall and lose one of the scraps of self-worth, you still have the drive of mind to accomplish and establish yourself as a person of honor, a person of integrity.
Another key point of integrity is its personal nature. Integrity is a very selfish quality in the sense that it deals with our attitude toward ourselves as opposed to other people and our relationships with them. Integrity is unique in that it represents the foundation upon which the conscience is built. A robust, healthy conscience has a solid foundation of integrity, just as the broken, shattered conscience lacks integrity.
Integrity, then, is a relative of self-respect. It requires an objective view of the morality of a given circumstance, but then dictates the approach to that action. Integrity is shown internally, not outwardly. We are the only ones who can truly know whether or not we have integrity, and consequently, we are the only ones who can truly break our integrity. Integrity’s worth comes not from the promise of fame and recognition, but from the deep sense of self satisfaction that comes only from the knowledge that we have done everything in our power to make the world a better place.
Integrity manifests itself in us when we have the courage to act with grit, when we reform ourselves from the inside out, and when we are able to respect our whole self, accepting our good sides with our shortcomings. Integrity is a loyalty to our morals; it is a rock to which we can cling even when we hold on alone. It is a quality of resilience, of the conviction that, to paraphrase the Bible, “though we are pressed, we are not crushed.” It means that we are able to proceed confidently in the direction our conscience steers without fear.
