Make your Dreams Come True by Dylan

Make your Dreams Come True by Dylan - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from a teacher is to never give up, and never sell yourself short of anything. This teacher was an inspiration to me, and he helped me reach some of my biggest goals. Mr. Owen was my English teacher during my freshmen and sophomore year of high school. He pushed me to do well in school, and he always encouraged me to do better in sports. Mr. Owen was also my eighth grade long distance track coach in middle school. He knew me before I even got into high school, and that made me feel a lot more comfortable being in a class with a teacher I already knew.
In track, my teacher always told me I could go faster. I remember a time when we were running hills during practice. Mr. Owen asked me why I was not beating one of the other athletes on the team. I said, “Because he is faster than me.” My teacher replied,” no he’s not, you can beat him Dylan!” I was very surprised my teacher said that to me, because the other athlete was standing right there with me. For almost the whole entire work out, the other athlete and I would finish very close to each other. We ran these big loops together, and he would finish a couple seconds before me. Finally, towards the end of the practice I beat him. I started running the loops faster than him; I could tell he was dying out. I was so excited because I always thought he was faster than me, but my teacher gave me inspiration that helped me push myself harder to beat my friend. I would have probably just accepted that my friend was faster than me, but I didn’t give up. The lesson has given me hope that I can accomplish bigger obstacles in life that I encounter.
The other lesson Mr. Owen taught me is to never sell yourself short. Meaning, do not think you are not good enough for something. He told me to not put barriers on my dreams, and to never settle for anything less than the best. As a kid growing up, I thought it would be fun to be a doctor and help people. Entering high school, I did not feel I was one of the sharpest students. My teacher changed that because he told me I could do anything I wanted; that I was smart enough for any job out there. At the beginning of high school, I had a hard time finding a career I could pursue. Mr. Owen gave me suggestions of what I could be, and one of them was a doctor. I never thought I was smart enough to become one, but he reassured me that I could. I said,” Heck yeah that’s what I want to be.” I was just so doubtful and lost, but he helped me out by saying I could do it. His wise words and inspiration pushed me to achieve higher grade point averages and to take school more seriously.
Mr. Owen was definitely one of my favorite teachers in high school. He pushed me to run faster in track, encouraged me to chase my dreams, and be a better person. His life lessons and inspiration guided me in the right direction. He gave me ideas and goals I thought would never be possible. Those are the two biggest lessons I have learned from a teacher. I can’t justify one being more important than the other. They are both equally important to me, and I will carry the goals made possible from him for a very long time or until I reach them. Never give up and never sell yourself short of anything.