Who has inspired me and encouraged my success? by Kevin

Who has inspired me and encouraged my success? by Kevin - October 2019 Scholarship Essay

I suffered a brain injury when I was nine; my life was forever changed. I had an unknown allergy to anesthesia and I was under anesthesia during my tonsillectomy. After the surgery I couldn’t control my emotions, my balance was off, my speech was subpar, and most importantly my short term memory was impaired. I had to go see doctors regularly and I eventually went under anesthesia again because they wanted an MRI… my condition worsened.

I was in a resource room at school for years during my elementary and middle school years. I had poor grades from first grade to sixth grade. In my seventh grade year after I moved to the middle school I met the lady in charge of the resource room, Rita Karleskint. Rita was very involved with my education. My grades were poor until I met her. Rita helped me learn many things at a slower pace.

One of the things that she did was to teach me math one on one. Additionally, she gave me a paraprofessional, Molly Finley. Molly helped me in math where I struggled most. Rita made sure I got my assignments done and that I was getting the help I needed. Without Rita I wouldn’t have gotten the attention and help I needed. There are so many things that if I hadn’t met her I wouldn’t have now.

Without Rita I wouldn’t have a 3.6 GPA or good grades in high school. Rita has inspired me to excel in academics and she encouraged me to do my best, which is why my grades are all A’s and B’s. Rita has affected my success ever since I was in middle school. In high school grades matter much more. Who knows? I might have even failed high school without her. I was drowning in my educational career and Rita was my life raft.

It is crazy to think about how much people influence our lives. We don't realize it at the time but later, we do. Everyone we meet in our lives is there for a reason. I believe everyone has a purpose and the people around us shape who we are. People don’t realize it, but life is a journey and sometimes it’s a bumpy ride. We also take a lot for granted.

If I hadn’t had Rita in my life I wouldn’t have gotten good grades. Rita set me on a path prepared for high school. Without her I would have never done carpentry class at Washburn Tech. If I hadn’t gone to Washburn Tech, I wouldn’t have learned the math that I missed in the past, in that class. Math like my multiplication tables, geometry, area, volume, etc.

Rita has changed my life and without her I wouldn’t be who I am. Who inspired me academically, and encouraged my success? Rita did. Remember, don’t forget who made you who you are.