The Difference One Teacher Can Make In Your Life by Knowlton

The Difference One Teacher Can Make In Your Life by Knowlton - June 2019 Scholarship Essay

My relationship with Latin has been tumultuous, but it has been the single most influential course in my life. To give you some background, my college preparatory school runs 7th – 12th grade, and 7th and 8th are considered middle school. During middle school, grades are not given, and performance reviews are in the form of written assessments. In middle school, I elected to take Latin as my foreign language. I enjoyed the subject, but found it quite challenging. My 8th grade teacher was engaging and had high standards, and much to my surprise, at the end of the year he recommended I take Latin I in the 9th grade to strengthen my skills. The normal progression is for 9th graders who have taken Latin in middle school to continue on with Latin II. The stigma of being “held back” in a class was overwhelming for a high school freshman, and I felt conflicted and the barrage of advice was daunting.
My counselor encouraged me to consider taking a spoken language as it may be more suitable to my talents. I held firm in my desire to continue with Latin and my parents supported me. We found a tutor over the summer and I was able to improve my skills. I was fortunate to have the most amazing teacher I have ever had to this day for Latin II. Ms. Truetzel was working on her PhD in Classics at Princeton. She took a year off to come to John Burroughs, her high school alma mater, to fill in for a teacher on sabbatical. She was aware of my situation and met with me to discuss how we were going to work together as a team to excel in Latin. She allowed students to email his or her homework and she would give recommendations to help the student understand the material. She responded each night, as we had daily homework. She also gave me extra assignments to help build my knowledge of the language. She would meet with me outside of class to go over the material. She met with me regularly prior to an exam to ensure I knew the material. Ms. Truetzel’s level of commitment set an excellent example for me as a high school freshman. She demonstrated the value in taking the time to share with others what you have learned. She encouraged me to be better and she ensured I succeeded. I worked incredibly hard to learn the intricacies of the language, and Ms. Truetzel made me want to work hard. I learned what achievement is possible with hard work, and the positive impact an outstanding teacher can have on your life. This formed the foundation for my high school years.
As a senior, I am in Latin V Honors, and Latin continues to be one of my favorite classes. My closest friends are the students from my Latin class. I am proud of myself for not giving up, and for the effort that I put in to improve. Not only am I learning an amazing language, but I also learned about myself. More than just learning a language, I learned the lifelong lesson of personal commitment and commitment to others. I am indebted to Ms. Truetzel, and the other tutors, as their influence has made me a better student and a better person. The honor of receiving Magna Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam is recognition of hard work by a team, and I look forward to expanding my knowledge in both the language and the culture.