The Zymere Project by Brittany

The Zymere Project by Brittany - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

Who am I? That's the one question a person needs to know in order to answer every other question that can determine their future. I haven't answered that question until I started my freshman year of highschool. Highschool is the time where I had four years to answer two questions: who am I and where am I going. I had to stand out as a scholar, a community involver, and a role model. All that so I could better myself and show the people within my town what kind of person I am, who I am. So I joined those clubs and organizations. I participated in everything I possibly could because I knew I needed something besides good grades to put on my college applications. One of the clubs I participated in was the FBLA and we went to another highschool for a national competition. There was a speaker at the competition who spoke about teens and how they could invest in their future. He said that everyone in the auditorium already had a head start because they were there. Everyone, including myself, worked hard to get where we were. We were there. The most important thing a person can do to better themselves for a brighter future is to not sit around. I don't know what type of position I would be in if I'd have sat around and just let life pass me by. I insured a successful future by getting involved, going places and meeting new people, and most importantly showing people the kind of person I am. There was a time when I was ashamed of myself because I thought I wasn't worthy of the praise my family and friends bestowed on me. I didn't feel like someone who could lead someone on the right path, who could lead a group or a country. I never thought of myself as a leader because in my opinion, leaders were loud and bold and popular. That all changed one day when I got home from school. I have a nephew named Zymere who's 7 years old and in the first grade. This small, happy little boy struggles with two very common disorders. He has ADHD and dyslexia and of course requires special education techniques. Zymere came to me immediately after I came home asking me if I could help him with his homework. I of course wanted to help him so I sat him down with all the work he needed to do and we got to working on it. I had no idea how much Zymere struggled until I sat down with him. This 7 year old didnt know things from basic addition problems to words such as 'an'. All this time I thought the teachers at his school could take care of it all, that it was solely their responsibility. Zymere's mother, my sister, is a hardworking woman who tries her best to take care of her two children. She works to provide them with what they need and I knew she didn't have the time on her hands to teach Zymere as much as he needed teaching. So I made it my responsibility to work with him everyday after school and on the weekends. We got him flash cards and books below and on his level. I gave him at least an hour of my time over anything else I had to do for myself. I made my nephew's education a priority, and luckily for him I was a great teacher. With my help and the help of the teachers at his school, Zymere has gotten better at reading and solve math problems on his level. But I have never stopped working with him. I never gave up and left my family member to the responsibility of JUST the school system. Why? Because I learned a valuable life lesson in those weeks I tutored him. I actually learned several. One thing I learned was that to help a community, it starts with just one. Helping Zymere made me figure out what I wanted to do with my life, teach early childhood education. Another thing I learned was that I was a leader, because I chose to be one. I helped lead this little boy on the right path without hesitation and that's something I never learned at my school, to lead. So in conclusion, my nephew taught me as much as I taught him. And I hope that I can help a bunch of other little girls and boys just like him.