What I Would Teach as a College Professor by Brenna

What I Would Teach as a College Professor by Brenna - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I started to learn how to read, I had a passion for words and stories. I read everything; every book I could get my hands on, the back of cereal boxes, road signs, and even shampoo ingredients. I even took my books with me in the bathtub. If I was a college professor, I would teach literature.
I grew up with a love for reading, but when I took a introductory humanities course my junior year of high school I realized how much more the subject of literature encompass. The academic subject of literature includes the study of all the subjects I loved best; history, philosophy, ethics, and psychology. In order to fully appreciate a work of literature, you must understand the historical context and the social and cultural climate in which it was written. Almost all works of literature touch on some sort of philosophical dilemma, whether it is the struggle between good and evil forces or a character questioning their own personal principles. Hand in hand with philosophy is ethical subjects. The concepts of good and evil and the areas in between are introduced in some form in almost every work. Many works of literature also deal with psychology, whether the work plays on the emotions of the reader or the characters face problems with their own psyche such as self doubt.
My humanities class was the first class I had that challenged me to be introspective and come to my own conclusions about a work, and I really enjoyed that and got to know myself better by doing so. I would love to foster that introspection in others, as I think it is a vital life skill. I have a real passion for reading and analyzing literature and want to share that passion with others. If I was a college professor, teaching literature would be a great way to do that.
I already have significant experience with language studies. I will be entering my fifth year of a foreign language, and I have found that the best way to learn about another culture and language is by reading their literature. I have helped teach an adult English class for native Spanish speakers for over four years. I think I would enjoy teaching foreign literature or a literature class for non-native English speakers because of my love of immersing myself in other cultures.
Because of my passion of analyzing literature, learning about other cultures, and reading, I would be a literature professor. If I could further specialize in what I taught, I would either teach foreign literature or an ESL literature class.