My Number One Supporter by Jenna

My Number One Supporter by Jenna - October 2019 Scholarship Essay

There are so many people who come and go in a students life. Teachers, peers and coaches all impact the lives of a student. The ones who truly make a difference are the ones who push them to think outside of the box, and push them to achieve every goal they set. People who do push you to be your best, are the people who inspire you the most and will stick in your memory for life. My biggest inspiration during my academic years was and still is my history teacher from my sophomore year in high school, Mr. Toland. He taught me not only important life lessons, but how to be a good academic learner.
Mr. Toland was not only one of my favorite teachers, but also one of the most inspirational people I have had the pleasure to meet. He is a teacher that does not let his students goof off during lectures, which is something that I truly needed to learn as a sophomore. He also taught me to be academically engaged and someone who truly is interested in learning in all subjects, not just history.
Sophomore year went quick and before I knew it, I no longer had that supportive backbone, or so I thought. Junior year came along and little did I know he would stop me in the hall everyday, asking about my classes and my grades. He probably does not know this, but that truly made me want to stay on top of my grades and assignments, so I would not disappoint him. One memory that I have from Junior year is when I got a bad test grade in Government class. My Government teacher had told Mr. Toland about it, knowing that we are close. Mr. Toland pulled me into his classroom the next day and asked me what was going on and if I needed any help. This is just an example of how he would always check up on his student’s.
Still to this day, he makes me want to do good in my academics because I know it makes him proud when his former students come back to talk with him and he finds that they are doing good. I know that no matter what I am going through he will always have my back and encourage me to think outside the box and push me to do good academically.