Learning Maturity by Joseph

Learning Maturity by Joseph - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

Growing up as the second of nine children in a homeschool family provided many benefits. There was always plenty of work to do, for my Mother was determined to provide us with an excellent education. We owned a small dairy ranch, with a maximum of twenty dairy goats in our herd, some fowl for eggs and meat, and dogs for general protection.
Having a ranch certainly taught us to be responsible in many ways, and we were all hard workers and willing volunteers. We have volunteered for many things over the years. We have volunteered to run the audio and video booth at our church. We have volunteered to take care of neighbors' animals when they are on vacation (although they always insisted on paying us for it afterward). But one of my favorite memories of volunteering was being a teacher's assistant.
Now, I know what you're thinking. How could you be a teacher's assistant at a homeschool? Surely your Mom could handle the load, with only nine of you? Well, when my Mom was teaching us all across the different age groups, from preschool to seniors in high school, things could get very busy for one person, so I and my siblings would often volunteer to help teach the younger ones.
I learned a few very important lessons from this time. The first was the influence that I, as an older brother, had over my younger siblings. This impressed me with a firm desire to remain honorable and upright for their sake.
I also learned how to be responsible. Being tasked with instructing my siblings was no small undertaking, as I had to be sure that they understood the concept. My Mother would grade the papers, and it was as much a grade on how well I had instructed as it was a grade for their performance.
I learned other lessons from helping teach my younger siblings, but I do not have time to recount everything here. To sum up, I learned maturity. I learned what it took to be reliable, committed, and respected. I still apply these lessons today, whether it is in the classroom with my professors or in the workplace with my employers. These life lessons are incredibly important, and thanks to the volunteer work I did for my Mother, I learned these lessons.