A Universal Lesson by Hanna

A Universal Lesson by Hanna - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

I can’t say that the most important lesson I have learned in school has been taught by any singular teacher. I have been blessed in my education, to have been taught this lesson by all of my teachers, regardless of my age, the subject, or the teacher’s teaching habits. I find that no matter what learning environment I am in, this subject is a universal topic among teachers, and is taught without a syllabus, prerequisites, or lesson planning of any kind. All of my teachers have taught me the important lesson that I can be whomever I want to be, as long as I work for it.
In every grade, in every class, this has been a prevalent theme. No matter what my personal feelings toward a teacher or subject, I have never been told I cannot do something based off of my gender, the color of my skin, my proficiency in a certain subject, or any of the other pointless reasons to not do something.
My algebra II teacher knows that I do not like the subject, and am not good at math. But he persists, because he knows I can do anything, and if I change my mind and decide to become a rocket scientist or a math teacher, then the lessons that he teaches will become important. I may never use the Pythagorean theorem ever again, I may never have to know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, or that MLA format calls for the period after the parenthesis in citing evidence. But my teachers teach me these things because they know I can be anything and do anything, and they try their best on a daily basis to prepare me for the world. All teachers do this; they try to prepare their students for the endless possibilities that await them, because they know that your means do not determine your ends and that a person can amount to great things.
This lesson, which I find to be the most important lesson, is one I have been taught from infancy, by every teacher I have encountered. It has fueled my drive to succeed in school, to read so much, to hunger for knowledge, so inspire others and to help those in need. And this is all thanks, to the amazing educators that have blessed my life.