Being "Smart" by Haydn

Being "Smart" by Haydn - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

All throughout high school I had one favorite teacher, Dr. Netzely. He taught chemistry and biology, which were two of my better subjects. I always made sure that I took one of his classes every semester, even though it didn’t do my GPA any favors. He was a joy to be around, and I loved learning from him.
Although he was a very smart man, he never claimed to know everything. In fact, in did quite the opposite. He was quite open about his horrible grammar and his terrible art skills. He knew he taught subjects that were hard for a lot of students, and he didn’t want anyone to get down on themselves for not doing great in his class (which was really hard by the way). He reminded us everyday that being one kind of smart does not make you every kind of smart.
In modern society it is often thought that scientists are the smart people, artists are dumb, and everyone else falls somewhere in between. Yet, Dr. Netzely fought that stereotype everyday. He pushed us to use all types of “smart” in his class. Instead of just turning in a paper about cells, he would give us the option to create a model, or draw a picture, or even do a power point. He truly wanted us to succeed.
He wanted us to understand that being book-smart was not the only thing that mattered. In his eyes, every student has the potential to be smart—whether that be in science, literature, art, or some other field—he was just looking to unlock that potential. I was always excited to go to his class because I never knew what concepts he would present me and my peers with that day. Beyond just biology and chemistry, Dr. Netzely taught us about life. He taught us that we do not have to meet society’s molds in order to have a fulfilling life. We can still have purpose and be smart, even if we are not “smart”.