Guiding and Instilling Qualities by Hyrum

Guiding and Instilling Qualities by Hyrum - October 2022 Scholarship Essay

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a school as “an organization that provides instruction” (Merriam-Webster). This organization was my parents, mainly my mom, at the beginning of my academic life. Being home-schooled for the first seven grades of formal education gave me a unique perspective on education. I have come to believe that the quality of education is mainly determined by the guidance and qualities given by the instructional organization.
Guidance quality is dependent on the balance between free will or study and controlled activities. My mother allowed me to follow my dreams and allowed me a lot of freedom in what I could do throughout my day. She let me pursue my many varied interests and hobbies while giving me ample opportunities to find new, healthy alternative options as I grew and changed. However, she also subtly monitored (and controlled as needed) my progress in other areas of study such as math; I started to fall behind in math as I did not like the subject, but she helped me quickly get back on track and eventually helped me to excel above my peers. She also monitored my social life and instilled within me the value of social interaction. Through the effects of her effort, I have been able to minimize my social challenges and help others to also do so. Her efforts and the efforts of the academic institutions I attended were amplified by the qualities they taught and fostered.
Educational organizations are accountable for teaching and fostering qualities within their students that will help them improve and become successful throughout their lives. The two most important qualities that they are accountable for instilling are reliability and self-sustainability. Reliability is often taught by enforcing consistent rules and expectations to provide a factor of consistency that students may not have outside of the school atmosphere. As students become increasingly reliable, they can accrue greater responsibility and obtain greater trust. As the students become more self-sustainable, they no longer need as much outside help with their responsibilities. These two qualities have helped me excel in my academics, sports, and social life. I have been able to continually advance the level of my academic classes while maintaining great grades and retaining vast amounts of knowledge that I use to help other students.