Perseverance by Kiera

Perseverance by Kiera - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

I have been through many experiences in life where hard work paid off academically, but the most significant is the experience I had with Esther. In 7th grade, I met a new student named Esther. She was from Taiwan and spoke no English, but was determined to succeed at our small private school. It was at that point that I knew we would be friends. Because she knew no English, I had to be creative in the way I would communicate with Esther. I started with small phrases, not even entire sentences. The teachers at our school did what they could to help Esther, but there was only so much they could do for one student in a full classroom of native English speakers. I would spend all of my free time with Esther, learning about her culture, and teaching her about mine. I did all of my homework quickly, even during class sometimes, so I could help walk her through hers. Of course, her grades were not wonderful starting out. This was something that was very upsetting to her, because her culture puts a lot of value on good grades. But I was determined to help Esther.
This was not an easy process for me either. As a twelve-year-old, I was being stretched in my knowledge of the English language. Everything from simple reading comprehension to very deep grammar and mechanics was being put to the test. As a native speaker, I often took for granted my knowledge of the English language, and honestly, I enjoyed the academic challenge that came with helping Esther. We worked as a team. Slowly, Esther's grades began to rise. There were still words that she had trouble saying, and parts of the English language that she did not understand, but she was learning the language. Esther was as determined as I was. It was not my academic career that was on the line, but I treated it like it was. Everything I did to help Esther, I did as if I were helping myself. In the process of teaching Esther English, we became best friends. We did everything together, including going to a K-pop concert. Spending time with Esther helped me realize what gaps in her learning she still had. I made sure to address those when we were going over homework.
By the time Esther left America after 8th grade and went back home to Taiwan, she was speaking English almost without an accent. We even ended up being in the same Latin class, where she excelled just as much as I did! It was so wonderful to see that my hard work had paid off, and that Esther was able to excel academically because of her understanding of the English language. I am so happy I was able to help her in this way, and that all of my hard work payed off. Helping Esther eventually led to me choosing to pursue Teaching English as a Second Language. I am excited to be able to help many other students do the best that they can academically because of what I have taught them.