Overcoming Chemistry by Kyle

Overcoming Chemistry by Kyle - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

During the middle of my sophomore year of high school I decided to take chemistry because I thought it would be a fun experimental class. Plus the fact I thought it was going to be a easy class as I soon found out on the first day of school it was certainly not. On the first day of school my teacher Mr. Brewer gave us his usual beginning of the year class rules and expectations paper which we all had to sign. The first semester was a lot harder than I thought and I definitely look back now and say I should have studied more and worked harder. However, I have to thank Mr. Brewer for giving me this wake up call and reminding me no one is going to hand you anything in life. This is how he showed me that you never stop working hard for what you want... you have to earn everything you receive in life.

The qual lab came along and this was supposed to be a fun lab. This is what I heard from past students and friends that have taken the class the previous year. So on the first day, loaded with confidence I started the lab with no worries at all. Then a week later after I finished all my procedures and I found all the chemicals I needed, I went up to Mr. Brewer and told him that I have finished. With so much confidence I started walking to the room where everyone who had finished on their first try are supposed to go. Before I get halfway there Mr. Brewer calls me back and says your wrong those weren't the chemicals I assigned to you. I was shocked and in disbelief as he told me again that I have to restart. Looking at him in disbelief I finally walked back and thought maybe I rushed a step. So I went back and restarted everything this time taking a week and a half to finish this lab. I went back to him and told him I finished. This time I waited to hear his response and when I heard “Nope” come out his mouth again I panicked. The reason I started to panic was because I was going to start off the second semester with an F. I've never had an F in my life. As time was running out I put time in after school to try and finish this lab before it was too late. Sadly the final day came and with no hope I turned in my final response. Mr. Brewer looked at me with a long pause, and began shaking his head from side to side. At that moment I knew the answer. Once again “nope wrong chemical” and as I looked at my grade the next day I didn't want to go home.

This is where I really learned from this great obstacle I put myself into. I had a conversation with my teacher that day because I can't go home and tell my parents I have an F. I begged him and begged him for a higher grade, but he didn't change my grade. How can I blame him, I didn't earn the grade I was begging him to give me. He was not going to give me a grade I didn't earn. He said the best he can do is help me on the side if I'm struggling but the rest is up to me. So from that moment on I asked every question I had studied every chance I got and slowly but surely, I saw my grade start to go up. Within 2 months it went from a 17% to 63% I wasn't finished yet though. As the year was ending I still had a 63%. I can't have a failing grade on my report card, and with no extra credit to turn in I'd have to pass the final. Luckily for me it was an actual test not a lab, so I put in some serious time with Mr. Brewer and with my textbook. When the final came I was nervous and semi-confident. The next day as he was passing the grades back from the final I was praying that I got above a 60% on the test. Or else my grade is going to ruin my transcripts forever. As I got my paper I see the 78% on it and with the curve he put on the test it bumped up my overall grade in his class to an astonishing 78%! I was so relieved that I was able to pass the class and earn every percent of that grade.
The lesson I have learned from Mr. Brewer is that you won't receive anything if you don't work for it. No matter what it is in life you don't get anything you don't earn. That is what I learned from overcoming my obstacle in the classroom. To this day I will forever be grateful that I had the opportunity to have Mr. Brewer has a teacher and for him to teach me this valuable lesson.