#Teachers by Brianna

#Teachers by Brianna - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

The great Nelson Mandela once stated that “Education is the most powerful weapon, in which you can change the world.” Time after time his statement has proven to be true. Today’s world would not be as advanced in technology, medicine, and other significant things, without the important figures who contribute their time and energy into education. These important figures are parents, school employees and advisers who pass their knowledge and inspiration onto others. People such as Michael Faraday, Mae C. Jamison, and Alan Guth would not be inspirational figures without the education they received from teachers. It often goes unacknowledged how vastly teachers make a difference in the world.
Growing up in a country such as the United States, we often take for granted the free education that is offered. Growing up in a place like Detroit, I didn’t realize that education is a privilege. It wasn’t until I moved to Madison, Alabama, that I realized how education is the line that separates children like myself from a world of opportunity and privilege. My childhood was not the best, but I received the best from it. I grew up in Detroit, and it wasn’t at all easy. My gruesome mother and step-father raised me, and my siblings for a long period of time, and I often felt trapped because of them. My siblings and I were not allowed to go outside because of the violence and crime we lived around, but I wanted to be anywhere but inside. School was my escape, although I was bullied for always doing my work, I fell in love with just being able to go to school everyday, being able to see friends and learn new things, but the best part about walking into school every morning, was seeing a teacher named Ms.Lites.
In eighth grade my English teacher, Ms. Lites, changed my outlook on life. At this point in my life me and my siblings were living with our father. At the time he had no car and was looking for a job,but me and my siblings still had to find a way to school. Every morning that our father let us go to school, we walked. On good days it took us two hours to walk from our home to our school. Those “good days” consisted of us waking up around five am, leaving the house around six, and making it to the school around eight. Summer mornings were the absolute worst.With each step we took toward education, the weather became progressively hot. Leaving me to wonder why I was fighting so hard for education. When I arrived at school, Ms.Lites reminded me, not why I was fighting, but what I was fighting. She told me I was fighting against the statistics that said I wouldn’t make it past high school, because of the area I lived in. She reminded me that education was a gateway too all of my goals in life.
Ms. Lites began buying me, and my siblings things we needed, and driving us home whenever she could. Ms.Lites gave me motivation to always persevere through all of life’s adversities, she believed in me when I failed to belive in myself.
In the may of 2013, I put on the nicest dress I had and prepared to walk to my middle school graduation.When I saw Ms. Lites I couldn’t keep from smiling. Like an angel she floated directly toward me and said “I see something bright in you bri, and I know you’re going places. Far beyond Detroit. Never forget that.” I’ve kept what she said in my heart and mind ever since. She was right, three years later in early August I moved to Madison, Alabama, to live with the most wonderful woman in the world: my Aunt.
Madison is the polar opposite of Detroit,everything is so much nicer, but the best part of Madison is the school system.The people in Madison live a fulfilled life, with many privileges because of their hard work through education, which lead me to realize that hard work was a factor that separated the lives of people in Detroit and the lives of people in Madison.Which only motivated me to work harder in school.Though the schools I attended in Detroit were not grand, I still loved attending school because of teachers.Teachers make all the difference in a students life. In Detroit I was bullied for liking school, and being somewhat of a teacher's pet, leaving me to feel as if I was eccentric. Now, at my high school, James clemens, I feel as if I’m exactly where I belong. Every teacher I have met has an intimidating look of determination in their eye. It goes without saying that they are determined to make sure every student who enters their door walks out with motivation and a more elevated knowledge. My pre-calculus teacher, Ms.Magrath, spends her entire lunch hour helping students to better understand math, I have had to remind her to eat sometimes. My chemistry teacher, Ms.Hamilton, offers free ACT prep to students, because she cares about our future. Many teachers don't come to school to just give a lesson, but to give motivation, and insiration to the leaders of tomorrow,and with the knowledge that they pass on to us, we will go out and change the world. Making it a better place for the next generation of leaders and teachers.