iEducate Experience by Biruk

iEducate Experience by Biruk - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

I can say that every volunteering experience I had the opportunity to participate in has taught me a lesson. However, the most impactful one has come from my time as a third-grade classroom volunteer over the summer with iEducate USA.

I went into the program with the preconceived notion that the other volunteers and I would face a classroom of children who did not want to learn. I quickly found that I was thoroughly incorrect; these students wanted to be in class even more than we did. It amazed me that so many of them held a passionate interest in everything we were teaching them. It inspired me that there were so many curious minds in front of me to whom I could supply the knowledge and attention that I had not received when I was their age. This experience allowed me to look back and reflect on how my experience in school had differed from theirs.

Although my school had labeled me as Gifted & Talented, I did not receive any time with tutors or other resources to grow my academic passions. It had been rigorous to cultivate my interests without any help. I share in the struggles of growing up as a low-income student and understand that we do not have the same access to resources as many others who are more privileged. I worked one-on-one with every student and taught them while adjusting to their learning styles to help as many students as possible.

Once I had completed the four-week-long volunteering experience, I left with an important lesson: every student can become passionate about their academics. Even though I did meet some students who were not interested in learning at first, after some time and personalized teaching, they came excited to learn every day. I did not have access to these resources while in elementary school, but I am delighted to see that programs such as iEducate are working to equalize the playing field when it comes to education.