My Pre-School Epiphany by Emily

My Pre-School Epiphany by Emily - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

Oh, the thrill that welled up within me! I knew something that my preschool classmates did not know, and that made me proud. I walked up to the front of the little classroom, trying my best to look grown-up, despite my three-year-old stature. Ian Falconer’s “Olivia” was tucked under my arm, and as I sat down, I boldly began to read aloud to my class. It must have been that moment when I realized that I needed to be a teacher - the first time I looked up and saw an audience of hungry learners hoping to glean knowledge from my words.
I have wanted to teach for almost my entire life and, as the years have passed, my desire for this occupation has only grown greater and greater. There are days when it feels like agony to think that I have to wait until after college to get a professional teaching job. One day, I began to think about what I could do to prepare for my future career while I am still in high school. That is when I discovered dual credit courses. Who knew that some colleges offer online classes to teenagers so that they can get college credit while they are still in high school? I did not know that, but once I found out, I promptly signed up for one. At this point, I have received fifteen credits from these online courses, and I still have nearly two years left of high school, so there will be plenty of time to earn more credits. I plan to get my general education out of the way before I even set foot on campus.
Once I graduate from high school and move on to college, hopefully I will be able to focus on my career-specific courses. The school I am planning to attend places education majors into classrooms in their sophomore year, rather than waiting until they are seniors. This is immensely exciting for me! I have been waiting for thirteen years to be able to work in a classroom; when I am a sophomore in college, I will have an opportunity to do just that. Because I will have my general education out of the way, I will be entering college as a sophomore. I will be able to place my time and energy into becoming the best teacher I can possibly be. My goal in teaching is to positively impact children so that they will grow and develop a love for learning. Even now, I know that I will gain so much from student teaching in elementary school classrooms. That will be the experience I am most grateful for in college. Maybe I will even encourage my students to pursue a goal, just like my preschool teacher did when she let me read to my preschool class.