The Fairyland of High School by Emily

The Fairyland of High School by Emily - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

Not many teachers want to be at the top of their students' lists for reference letters, as it is a lot of work. Not all teachers remind their students how special and good-hearted they all are, but Ms. Vasaturo, my health occupations teacher at Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School (SCVTHS) does. She believes in all her students and thinks they are the best of the best to be sent into the medical field.
Mrs. Vasatro is involved in and out of school, helping organize fundraisers for our club, Health Occupations Students of America(HOSA). The club involves raising funds, collecting supplies, speaking to the community about beneficial health information, and much more. She tries to rarely step in during our club meetings so we can practice public speaking, planning, and problem-solving. With her help, we were able to gather coats for the Jersey Cares Coat Drive, raise money and awareness for Making Strides Breast Cancer Research, raise money for victims of Hurricane Ian in Florida, along with many others and many more to still come with the rest of the school year.
Ms. Vasaturo knows what is expected in the real world once we leave “the fairyland of high school” as she likes to call it. She gives her students varieties of tests so they can get a feel for how different professors will assess their knowledge. She also teaches in a variety of learning styles like lectures, giving written notes, projects, and practical exams to adapt to all students' learning styles. As one who is a visual learner, I usually need to do some extra work when I get home from school because I do not grasp concepts after a lecture. I am able to be a strong learner from those different test styles and will be able to integrate those study skills into college.
Any time I have an idea on a career path I may be interested in, she jumps on it right away and comes back full of ideas to help me explore it further. While volunteering at a local nursing home, I decided I wanted to watch an occupational therapy session that was in progress. She automatically sent me into one of the sessions and let me see what it was all about. She also connected me with a previous student of hers that is currently in school for occupational therapy who I could reach out to with any questions. This prepares me for college already having experience in careers and subjects I may or may not want to learn about further.
Ms. Vasaturo is interested not only in our academic lives, but our personal lives. She wants to know what we did over the weekend, how work is going, and what is new and exciting in our lives. She even wants to know the difficult things, how we are after the passing of a loved one, why we are stressed, and what's challenging us. She has us set goals at the beginning of the year ranging from personal, academic and social goals. They stay taped up in our lockers as we attempt to achieve them throughout the year. Always reminding us to stay focused and hold ourselves accountable.
Teachers have a powerful impact on students when they are understating and involved in all aspects of their lives. Showing compassion for all students and wanting the best possible outcome to all obstacles. Ms. Vasaturo makes me want to be the best version of myself and is always willing to help me strive to achieve that.