The Key to My Education by Kristina

The Key to My Education by Kristina - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

School had never been a problem for me. I always did my work, kept my GPA above a 4.0, and stayed out of trouble. However, by my sophomore year, school was becoming a tedious activity for me. Instead of being excited to learn, going to school become a monotonous routine that never fulfilled my needs and wants. I wanted to be challenged and to learn new and exciting things that piqued my interest. I wanted to be inspired to take things head on and to want to better my education and the teachers I had were just not allowing me to do so.

Things took a turn my junior year when I was put into my high school's AP Psychology class. It was a last resort to get out of a computer class that I did not want to take. Little did I know, this simple change would impact my education forever. The first day of class, I walked in and picked the very last desk in the back. Our teacher, Mr. Carroll, went around the room and introduced himself. When the time came to introduce myself, I stood up and said, " Hi, my name is Kristina Osorio and I am a junior." I sat back down quickly as to avoid any further questions when Mr. Carroll asked me, " What's your last name again?" Confused, I told him "Osorio." He looked at me and said, "Yeah that's too long. You're Agent O from now on." Let's just say that was the beginning of a learning experience I will never forget.

Psychology had opened my eyes to a world I had never encountered before. I learned things about the brain and the human psyche that you really don't think about when you are a high school student. And Mr. Carroll was at the forefront of it all. He taught us in a way that was different from your average teacher. He encouraged us to grow and to accept the challenge of learning, not to shy away from our education. He forged relationships with his students that allowed him to better understand our educational needs. School was not about memorization anymore, but about absorbing knowledge that would be beneficial in my future endeavors. We still had homework, projects, and tests but the difference was that I was looking forward to doing all the work. I was excited to go to class and learn about neurons or about memory or Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. I could write notes at my pace and process what the teacher was saying after we wrote the material. For the first time in my schooling, I was learning, not just sitting in a desk and staring into space.

By the time the AP test came, I felt prepared and ready. I had never been so ready for a test before and I felt confident. After it was all said and done, I passed my AP exam with a 4, and even though I was happy to have passed, I was even more excited at the fact that I actually retained information from the class.

All in all, Mr. Carroll is the sole reason why my feelings on education changed for the better. Before him and his class, I would sleep in class and not care at all about my education. His class reinvented learning for me and showed me that we should care about our education and be enthusiastic to learn new things. He inspired me to want to expand my knowledge and help other people. I have to thank Mr. Carroll for all the wisdom he passed on and for helping me appreciate my education. He has influenced me and changed my life for the better.