To not only teach by Clara

To not only teach by Clara - October 2019 Scholarship Essay

I began my freshman year of high school with eyes wide and completely overwhelmed. The senior boys were tall and lumbering. Every girl seemed so vibrant and so pretty. I felt small and embarrassed by my ignorance. When I walked into my Spanish I class, I expected another icebreaker. Instead, I walked into a classroom commanded by a kind lady with long, fiery hair. She introduced herself with a motherly voice. The kind that makes you feel supported and immediately obedient. She then proceeded to ask us what our passions were.
As first impressions go, hers I never forgot. I had thought it was weird. I fondly remember it as the coolest icebreaker ever. As the year progressed, she took special notice of me. We would analyze the different art in the curriculum on the same wavelength. After class we would discuss books and different ideas. Sometimes she just asked how my day was going.
Ms. Griffin was incredibly intelligent. However, you would never know. She lacked the cockiness that permeates most who know they stand at an elevated position. She was kind, warm, and her intelligence shined as she handled the classroom and as she spoke.
At the very end of my freshman year, she asked what I wanted to major in when I left for college. I told her I wanted to go into business. It is the same degree I pursue now. She looked at me directly and said, “You should minor in Spanish. You are smart and people will want you. Chase it, you can be so successful.”
I did not choose to minor in Spanish. However, her words stayed in my heart. She truly believed in me. She believed that I would be successful and the tenor in her voice was proof of her seriousness.
The highest compliment she ever payed me was asking to borrow the book I was reading. This was my sophomore year. I had her for Spanish II as well. It was Settle for More by Megyn Kelly. Every day after I would ask her where she had made it to. When she finished it, we talked about the different ideas and arguments the book addressed.
Ms. Griffin encouraged my academic career not only because she believed in me but because she took the time to become invested in what mattered to me. It was only a book and yet it was everything. She took the time to hear what I had to say. Ms. Griffin did not just teach me Spanish, she sparked the desire to learn.