From Doubt to Belief by Christina

From Doubt to Belief by Christina - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

One of the greatest influences in a young persons’ life is that of their teachers. Teachers often sit in the same pocket as mentors and counselors. They represent encouragement and hope. They allow you to make mistakes and fall but never fail. There are many times a teacher will look at your performance and instead of seeing all of the negatives, they see all of the potential. Little do these teachers know, their efforts to encourage your strengths in academia also shapes many parts of you. One of the biggest lessons my teachers instilled upon me was to follow through and not surrender to defeat.
From the moment I entered school, academics were very important to me. I always had a desire to excel in academia. As a result of this I always tried to excel in school programs. As a high school student I made the decision to enter into the Honors programs in a majority of the general studies classes. Honors Chemistry was included. Despite my academic excellence and achievements thus far Honors Chemistry proved to be more difficult than anticipated. A few weeks into the course my teacher was realizing that I was struggling with the material. The guidance counselor decided to discuss other options. She suggested that I might feel more comfortable stepping into the average track Chemistry course. After this discussion my self-assured attitude started to wane. By the time I reached the classroom my Chemistry teacher was aware of the discussion. My teacher’s response was not to agree in the suggested surrender of challenging myself with more difficult material but instead to encourage my continuation with the course. He offered assistance in extra class time or tutoring. His and encouragement that I could conquer this material drove me to stay in the Honors course. Ultimately I surpassed this material and progress through Honors courses. This is one of the reasons I am still pursuing an education. This experience created a mindset of refusing to surrender to defeat.
After concurring the material in high school I swiftly moved on to college. However, sometimes it is not just one element that is affecting attaining your goals, but many. These unpredictable life changes are among the most impactful. Your teachers also influence how you handle these situations. I have been out of school now for eight years. Within my second year of college my grandmother was diagnosed again with Breast Cancer. This second diagnosis was as severe as it could be. She needed a lot of personal care which meant the only way to assist her was to be there daily. The only person available was myself so I took time away from schooling. I did not realize how difficult it would be to return. Finances were difficult to overcome and I ended up obtaining a job to support myself. The demands of life and finances ultimately overcame my pursuit back into education and I was beginning to lose hope. I reached out to my high school Journalism teacher for some insight. He suggested I look at the student body. Most will be the average 18-22 year olds but, some will be in the senior citizen range. He explained to me that there is always time to accomplish your goals and there are always ways I just have to be open to new experiences and methods. He helped me realize that just because the first trail leads me to nowhere doesn’t mean the next won’t lead me to something amazing. He encouraged me not to let my life overwhelm me. He is a major part of the reason I am trying to continue education.
This same man nourished my potential and taught me about not letting the fear of failure determine me. My high school teacher could see that I was very introverted. I never wanted to challenge myself or participate always fearing that I would fail. It prevented me from experiencing some great moments. One of these moments that I would have missed out on had it not been for this teacher was editor of our school newspaper. At first I turned the opportunity down fearing that I could not be editor, that I wasn’t able to critique, edit, or assemble. This teacher taught me that I would be depriving myself and others of great experiences just because of a fear of failing. He encouraged me to pursue this goal. I decided to step outside of my box and took the position. I am so thankful that my teacher encouraged me because he really taught me that I shouldn’t let my fear of failing overcome my yearning for achievement.
There are many examples of how impactful teachers can be throughout my academic career but they all embody the same essence. All of my teachers have instilled in me the determination of not giving up. Life is long and there will always be time. No one should let life’s ups and downs deter them from their track. They have helped me to realize that it is ok to get lost but don’t let the fear of running off road negate you from returning to the course and dominating it. Have faith in oneself and do not fear making mistakes because you learn from them. My teachers have all had a hand in shaping how I react to situations in life and how I conquer my pursuits.