Once In A Lifetime Inspiration by Alexandria

Once In A Lifetime Inspiration by Alexandria - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I understood how much of an impact education would affect my future, I have strived to learn as much as possible and enjoy the knowledge I plan to reuse in my career. Some are not as lucky, and may have needed that one person to show them what this gift of being able to attend school would affect them in their possible path. I had the luck of the draw, given the drive and determination to push myself for higher education as well as someone to guide me in my journey. Ms. Caraway, my AVID teacher, inspired me to not let obstacles beat me down and to look at better ways to get around them.

The AVID program is a college bound program that helps students to learn college study skills in a middle school and high school environment. I was invited and accepted into this program in seventh grade, meeting Ms. Caraway for the first time. After spending a few weeks in the program, I thought it was causing me to have a heavier homework load than other students, stressing me out until midnight every night. I had my first mental breakdown and I blamed the program for it. After Ms. Caraway talked with my concerned parents, they understood and explained to me that the program was set up to help me organize my homework and to handle the workload better. I agreed to continue in the program for that year. I learned how to do Cornell notes, learning logs, research colleges, and collaborate with students in my classes to comprehend the material. Ms. Caraway ensured we used these styles of note-taking correctly and practiced using them in our core subjects. She became family to all of us, making sure we all did well in school and that we were doing okay emotionally too. She cared about us all and understood what we were going through as teenagers.

Ms. Caraway had a personal impact on me by pushing me to keep going and not let school get me down. She gave me tips on test taking strategies as it was a weakness for me. If I needed to sit down and talk with someone about issues I had at the time, she would listen and give her advice on the matter. As I learned more about how college-life would be, she showed me how to make it fun and less stressful. These life tips she taught me helped me to see that hard work and dedication are important, but learning to relax and take things slow are too. As I learned to balance school and fun, I have become less stressed and it convinced me after a year of AVID to continue on for five more years in the program. Ms. Caraway was the reason I continued in the program since she was why it was helpful to students. She was what I call a true teacher; one that knows that students are human and still needed someone there for them.

That day when I made the decision to stay in AVID is not one of regret. I got to know a person that is irreplaceable. What made her special was that she cared about the students and that she wanted all of us to succeed in life. Sometimes, no matter how much of an exceptional student you are, that extra support can make a huge difference for your future.