A History Lesson by Brianna

A History Lesson by Brianna - June 2019 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my time at Guilderland High School, I have had many amazing experiences with teachers who have meant a lot to me. They have taught me all types of lessons, from how to write a college essay to learning my place in the world. But of all the wonderful teachers who have done great things for me, there is one person who stands out from the rest. This teacher is kind, he is caring, and he truly loves his job. He has become a model of who I would like to embody as a person. But most importantly, Mr. Pinchinat has taught me a lesson that I feel not many students are taught today: that it is okay to follow your passion, and do what you love as a career.

I have loved history ever since I was a child. It is something I have always loved learning about, from the United States to Africa. But as I got older, many people made it clear to me that if I wanted to be successful, I had to follow a more lucrative route. This is no fault of theirs, as it is ingrained into American culture to believe this way. But at a fault that was mine to a degree, I began to believe it. I stopped looking for ways to become what I always wanted to be, a high school history teacher, and began looking for ways to become a doctor. A lawyer. An engineer. Believe me, these are all great professions, but they are not who I am. I have always loved teaching people, and I was a tutor for a couple of years. But because of these people telling me “No! No! No!”, I began to form a mindset that the only way I could get by in life is if I had a lot of money. This is where Mr. Pinchinat comes in.

I first met him in junior year. He was new to my school, and relatively new to the teaching field as well. He began to be my US history teacher, and as I got to know him, as both a teacher and as a person, I began to realize that I wanted to do what he did. He taught history the way I have always believed it was meant to be taught: no textbooks, and talking about the people in history, rather than just the events that took place. I began to have lengthy conversations with him about history, and I began to question my beliefs about success. It was him who told me to do what I truly loved. And what I truly loved was exactly what he did: teaching people about something I care about. He opened my eyes to a whole new life that I could have, a life of passion for my career. A rewarding life filled with many memories and people I wouldn’t forget. A life I actually wanted.

Because of Mr. Pinchinat, I have changed my entire course in college studies. In the fall, I am joining the University at Albany’s honors college to study history. This is something that will impact me forever, and I know that I am making the right choice. Although I may have been misguided before I met him, it is because of him that I am on the path I am meant to be on. I hope that I will be a teacher just like him someday, somebody who truly loves their job and wants to help others. I also hope that he will be able to help students who may have been like me find the path that they’re meant to be on. I am so glad that I’m headed where I am, and I know that I owe a lot of that to him. And for that I am truly grateful.