What aspect of your education are you most thankful for? by Jaclyn

What aspect of your education are you most thankful for? by Jaclyn - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

I've never been the best at school, and sometimes it's very hard to motivate myself, but the aspect of my education I'm most thankful for are the teachers that cared about my education and pushed me to be better. I have 8 classes every semester, so unless something changes, I get 8 teachers every year. This, however, doesn't mean that I have 8 teachers every year that actually cared about my education. Some of the teachers that I've had, only cared about their paychecks, and didn't care to teach the class. This pushed my education back a little, but it also pushed me to do everything I can to still make a good grade in the class, whether that be get outside help or just googling everything. The teachers that did care, however, were the best teachers you could ask for.
One of my teachers that really pushed me to do better is my 11th grade AP Language Arts teacher. I was forced into this class by my mom, and didn't believe I would make it far in this class. We did some book work, but we mainly wrote essays, and I can honestly say I didn't start out well. However, when she saw I was struggling, she pulled me aside and told me what I needed to improve on and how to do that. I ended that class with what I consider a good grade, and felt really accomplished and proud by the end of the year. That class encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to school, and try new things. I can say I really benefited from this class, and hopefully this year will be the same.
Another teacher that has helped me achieve what I thought was impossible was my band teacher. I came into the band with a different band director my freshman year, and the entire year I believed that I wouldn’t get any better on my clarinet. However, when he showed up my sophomore year, he completely transformed not only my sound, but me as a person. I used to be an extremely shy person that wouldn’t really talk to anyone, but he showed me that it's’ okay to come out of my shell and let people in. As I started to open up, I realized that I started to sound better on my instrument as well. At the end of my sophomore year, I won the most improved woodwind award. It definitely boosted my confidence, and I can really thank him for leaving such an impact on my life.
The last teacher that has really helped me through my high school experience is my leadership teacher. I didn’t join the class till my sophomore year, but when I did, I can say it was one of the best experiences of my life. She was always the person I could come to if I ever needed anything, and she was always there to cheer me up. She is like a mother figure to me, and has helped me grow into a better person. Whenever I stressed about anything, she gave me different ways to calm down and relax. I still try to use them today, and every time I do, I always hear her voice guiding me along as well. I’m thankful that she was able to take me, someone who was always scared, stressed, and overthought everything, to someone who is not afraid to help other people with the same problem and to relax more.
High school has definitely been an interesting four year experience, but I probably wouldn’t have gotten through it without these teachers. I’m extremely thankful that I had them as teachers because they have helped me in so many ways. I’m thankful for other things that have helped my educational experience, but my teachers have done the most. No matter what problem I had, or project I needed help with, they were always there, every step of the way. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today without them, and that’s what I’m most thankful for.