The Great Teacher by Kenneth

The Great Teacher by Kenneth - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
William Arthur Ward

I have had many teachers in my life. I have had mediocre teachers. I have had good teachers. I have had superior teachers. However, I have had only a few great teachers. One of the few great teachers I have had is a teacher who not only taught me many lessons in life, but who changed my life for the better. Her name is Ms. Norton. I first met her when I was a sophomore in high school. I wanted to take an ag class, so I visited the various agriculture teachers to see if they had any space available in their classes. That is when I met Ms. Norton. She was extremely nice and welcomed me into her class. Eventually, I grew to know her more. She was the one who got me involved in the FFA, a decision that changed my life forever. While in FFA, I made many friends and made a lot of good memories. We went to state convention many times, and we all participated in CDEs together. Eventually, I was elected to be an FFA chapter officer! That is one of the greatest highlights of my high school experience. After the first year in her class, I was in her ag leadership class for the next two years. The people in this class were great students who all had a passion for the FFA. Over the years, we became like a family. We all knew each other, and we could be ourselves. This was extremely important to me. I had recently gone through a troubled time in my life when I was severely bullied, so it felt amazing to be accepted. It really helped to build my confidence, which allowed me to try new things.

Ms. Norton also introduced me to her sister, Holly, who was the coach of our vet science team. Holly showed me the power of dedication and how hard work will lead to great rewards. Without her, I probably would never had placed at state convention, and it was definitely because of her that I placed multiple times.

Ms. Norton has taught me many things, but the most significant of these things is that you must have passion for what you do. Ms. Norton loves being a teacher. She loves working with her students and seeing them succeed. It was this passion that has truly earned my respect. Never had I seen a teacher with such a strong passion for what they were doing. Seeing how much she cared for not only her students, but the FFA chapter as well led me to care for it too. I poured my heart into our FFA chapter. This is what led to me not only becoming an FFA officer, but to me placing in the top ten in multiple competitions at the state level. It was dedication that allowed me to get this far. I may never had learned that lesson if it had not been for my teacher. I spent three years with her, and those three years changed my life. I can’t imagine where I would be now if I had never met Ms. Norton. She inspired me to chase my dreams and work towards my goals. It is because of her that I am going to follow my passion and become an agriculture teacher, just like she is.