"Hit the world with your positive attitude!" by J'shawna

"Hit the world with your positive attitude!" by J'shawna - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Everyday all around the world multiple individual’s attitudes and behaviors are being altered into positive thoughts and actions. I was one of those students and continue to be to this very day.
When I was in middle school I didn’t see myself as having too much of a positive attitude towards reading or doing anything which involved math and science. I would always try to hide in the corner whenever my class was reading out loud and my participation was very low. My mother would always tell me that asking questions is never a bad thing. One day after school, my teacher pulled me to the side and asked me why I never say the answer aloud in class even when I’m right. My response only made her laugh. She told me how she used to behave the same exact way and when she finally got over it, it was the best decision she’d ever made. “Embrace your positive attitude to learn and use that strong hold to face the world head on”. I was both shocked and amazed that day. Shocked because I wasn’t expecting a teacher to care so much about any of her students and amazed because I soon realized how true and meaningful that quote really was.
To this very day that teacher’s quote continues to help me survive high school and the world surrounding me. I can now answer a question without fear and ask questions and give answers. That teacher not only gave me a life lesson which I will remember forever but she changed my whole ideal on school. School is a place for questions and wrong answers; it’s a place for doing things wrong and letting the teacher yell at you or correct you. I don’t believe I can ever, once again, be afraid to rise my and participate in school.