Inspire by Emily

Inspire by Emily - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

One word to describe why I want to go to college would be inspire. I want to inspire the next generation of student to fall in love with English. I didn’t always want to be an English teacher. In fact, I dreaded writing papers. I loved reading books, but book reports were the bane of my existence. That all changed when I started a new English program in 6th grade. Write from the Heart is an online English program that teaches students from 6th-12th grade. This program challenged me in a way that made me strive to improve my writing. My teacher, Mrs. Calano, pushed me to better my writing. She encouraged me to challenge myself. She had faith that I would surprise myself with the abilities I didn’t know I had. In that year I went from hating English to loving it. I am able to write concise papers and analyze literature. I am developing a stronger voice in my writing. I continued with Write from the Heart and by 8th grade I had decided I wanted to be an English teacher.
My English program continues to help me excel and gain recognition for my work. I have been recognized at the state level by Letters about Literature. Some of my pieces have been published in books by Creative Communications. I have won multiple Scholastic awards at the Regional level and my works have been judged at the National level as well. The work I am most proud of is a short story I wrote as a social action piece. It is based on a true story about prejudice my friend’s dad experienced in high school. I struggled to write that essay because I have never experienced prejudice the way he had. I am very pleased with my paper and am proud to say that it earned a Silver Key at the Regional level of Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
In college I want an English program that challenges me, just as my current program does. I want an environment with professors that will push me to challenge myself, in my own writing, and how I will teach. I know my love for English is not popular, as most students hate it. That is what I want to change. I want to inspire students to love English. Currently, I have a position as a teacher’s aide for a high school freshman English class. I am already looking for ways to encourage students in their writing and to make it more exciting for those that do not enjoy it. My goal is to be the next Mrs. Calano and inspire the next generation of students to fall in love with English.