The Most Valuable Lesson of My Life by Jessica

The Most Valuable Lesson of My Life by Jessica - September 2015 Scholarship Essay

From the time I was in kindergarten, my parents instilled in me the importance of studying hard and getting good grades. I went to Kumon to develop my math and reading skills, attended Japanese school every Saturday to improve my Japanese language skills, and had numerous tutors to ensure that I excelled in all of my lessons. Due to my academic accomplishments, I was always applauded by my parents’ friends, and treated as a model student. Although on the surface it looked as though I was a successful student, I had one major flaw: indifference. I completed assignments, worked on projects, and studied for tests, but neither connected with the material nor cared about what I was learning. It was not until I was 17 years old that I realized the purpose and significance of obtaining an education.
As I prepared to finish my third year of high school, I woke up one day with a burning fever of 103 degrees. I was worried about how much exam review I would miss by not going to school, but I took the day off to get medicine from my doctor. Dr. Lee informed my parents that I had a regular cold, and should rest for a few days. My condition, however, did not improve; on the contrary, I started to vomit regularly and fainted once. A fun summer full of traveling was approaching, and I did not under any circumstance want to retake my exams in August. I, therefore, reviewed my notes and read my textbooks in bed for a full week.
On the morning of my first final, I begged my parents to take me to school so that I could take my English and science finals. Even though my head was spinning and I had a fever, they grudgingly agreed. The next morning, I threw up in the bathroom, but kept it from my parents to be able to take my math and Spanish finals. On the third and last day, I looked as pale as a ghost because of my high fever and constant vomiting. I only had my history final left, so I pleaded with my parents saying that it would only take an hour. They reluctantly granted my wish, and I was able to successfully complete my finals.
After a full week of bed rest, the last day of school arrived. I went in to receive my grades, and was extremely pleased to see my near-perfect scores despite my horrible health condition that seemed to persist after two and a half weeks. Feeling proud of my accomplishments, I went home and sank into my soft bed. That night, however, I fainted twice and was taken to the emergency room. I was delirious and could not comprehend what the medical staff was saying. They took me to get a number of tests, and were shocked. They found a collapsed tumor the size of a penny in my left kidney, and a golf-ball-sized tumor that was about to burst in the right one. What the nurse said next completely changed my life forever: you would have died if you had not come in tonight.
They immediately sedated and rolled me into an operating room to cut a half-an-inch hole in my back and drain the accumulated pus from the tumor. I was hospitalized for ten days, and I experienced the most excruciating pain because of the opening in my back. That is when I questioned what I had been doing with my life. Were my grades that important? Was my GPA really everything? I realized then that if I had died, I would have regretted all the time I had spent worrying about these numbers because they did not make me who I was; it was the knowledge that was indispensible.
After being discharged from the hospital, I spent the entire summer in bed at home, but was happy and a changed person. I read novels for the first time on my own accord, and enjoyed writing poems for myself. Ever since I was hospitalized, my view towards education changed drastically. During my lessons, I concentrate with vigor, ask thought-provoking questions, and participate in discussions to voice my opinions. I absorb everything that my teachers say and what is written in my books, and focus on expanding my knowledge rather than my grades and overall GPA.
Thanks to this life-changing event, I fell in love with learning and the school environment, and decided to become an ESL teacher. I have been teaching for the last eight years, and recently started pursuing a Master’s Degree in TESOL (teaching English to students of other languages) to obtain the expertise to truly share the importance of learning and knowledge building with my students. Studying without a purpose is the most detrimental trap for students. Therefore, I am glad that learning became my passion and that it made me a better student as well as a knowledgeable individual, strong woman, and an inspiring teacher.