Cannon Bush: Fall 2022 John Young "Pursue Your Passion" Scholarship Recipient

Hello, my name is Cannon Bush, and I am currently attending classes at the University of Utah. I am working on my degree in English, and I am very excited to go to law school after I graduate. My school will be doing in-person classes next semester, and I am very happy about that! I feel like I learn so much better when I am together with a group of my peers. I love the camaraderie and sense of community that comes with being in a physical classroom.

Although I love on-campus classes, I do think that technology will be a huge part of our future. I think that the online video-meetings that came to be so prominent during the pandemic will continue to affect our lives forever. I know that in the legal world, many court hearings and even depositions are done virtually. I love that this can help to reduce travel time for people and make professional opportunities more accessible to everyone. I think that as time passes, there will be more technological developments that make life convenient for everyone.

I have loved studying English so far, and I really feel like the study of English has helped me to be better prepared for my future. I think that literature helps people to practice seeing the world from different perspectives. This can help us to become more empathetic, resourceful, and more effective at problem-solving. I think that the critical thinking skills that literature can help us develop can fit seamlessly into an incredible number of professions. For these reasons, I believe that English is a major that is very well positioned for the future, and will continue to help countless students to excel in their careers.

When I learned that I earned this scholarship, I immediately thought of my grandmother. She has been a huge influence on me throughout my life. She has always encouraged me to go to college, and has always supported me in my dreams. As a way of thanking her, I made a special dinner for her. My wife and I shared it with her at her house. She was very proud to learn that I had been awarded the John Young “Pursue Your Passion” scholarship.

I think that the connections we form with people are what makes life worth living. In this time where the world is recovering from a global pandemic, I think that it is incredibly important to stay connected in any way possible. I personally try to call my mother every day so that we can talk about our lives. I enjoy playing games online with my brothers as a way of staying close to them. I often have video calls with my nieces and nephews that live far from me. I love that the internet can help us to maintain close relationships, even if we are socially distanced from the ones we love.

I think that children are the most important resource on Earth. They are so pure and innocent, it would be amazing if we could all adopt the qualities of a small child. It breaks my heart to think of the millions of children around the world that are less fortunate than the children that I know personally. For this reason, I love any charity that aims to protect and nurture children.  I feel that UNICEF, in particular, does incredible work. I love the work they do to keep children safe and healthy. Moving forward I would love to contribute to the lives of children. In addition to donating to charities such as UNICEF, my wife and I dream of one day adopting children from unfortunate backgrounds and helping them to have brighter futures.