The impact of an exceptional teacher by Kena

The impact of an exceptional teacher by Kena - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

Last month I found an old letter my grandpa had sent to me as a kid. In it he wrote, "Even when it rains and you wake up to a gray sky, there is always a rainbow waiting for you. So, wake up and be and do better." He was a light in this world and always reminded everyone that there was so much to be grateful for. When things seemed insurmountable, I could go to my grandpa and he would tell me to view big, not small. After he passed, that message encompassed the meaning of living for me. At the age of 6, my family immigrated to The United States from Ethiopia. I remember vaguely landing at O'Hare International. I thought it was an extraordinary place.
My father had landed at the same airport a year earlier to work on his Ph.D. He was my first view into higher education. I saw the joy on my father's face when he published large texts and finished research. I saw what grit and immense commitment it took. I struggled for much of my elementary years adapting to a new language and catching up with my peers. I spent years in speech therapy programs. It helped me bridge the gaps that I could not fill on my own. My parents did not understand the school system or English and often could not help. What my parents lacked in understanding of the school system, they more than made up for with encouragement in everything I was interested in.
I met the most impactful person in my education after I moved to Indiana during 5th grade. His name was Mr. Anderson but he went by coach. He was a relatable and a truly outstanding teacher. He taught me to fight for dreams because “you're only so free once.” Coach was the reason I wanted more for my future and to strive for higher education. He helped me learn to understand and appreciate English, as well as the community that language brings. He tutored me, but he was not magic. He would say he could not do the work for me. So I spent hours upon hours in my room reading and working to be and do better.
As time has passed, I remember less of Mr. Anderson, but what I will always remember is that he was the first teacher who saw my full potential. He helped me discover my passion for learning. I am who I am in part because of him. I have become a goals person. Through my struggles during my former years with language and communication, I have built an understanding of the complexities of language, communication, and discourse communities. My passion for these subjects has tied in with the field that has helped me become my best self. That field is Speech Pathology. I'm very passionate about the field and I spend my Thursdays and Fridays after school at my local hospital in the speech clinic shadowing a speech pathologist. This time has allowed me to get a feel for the field and an understanding of the job. Volunteering has allowed me to see individuals like me overcome their struggles and find ways to communicate. This has brought me such an immense amount of joy and I feel very strongly that my post-secondary education will lead to a career in Speech Pathology.