What will you remember? by Kylee

What will you remember? by Kylee - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

What will I remember about high school? I will definitely remember that the most influential teacher in my life has been my tenth and eleventh grade English teacher. Despite English being my least favorite subject, he had had helped me to be at ease while writing. He also taught me the most important lesson in my life; standardized test scores do not define a person.
As regents week had come to an end, I came to the school to find out my grade for the English regents. It was a 94, which anyone else would have been happy with, but I was upset. I am competing to be valedictorian of my class, so knowing that my grade was lower than my competitions worried me. When my teacher saw that I was angry, he said to me, "Your grades aren't a competition". He continued explaining how in 10 years when I am an adult, I will not look back on eleventh grade and think, "I wish I got a higher grade on my English regents". He told me how he does not even remember what classes he took in high school. This conversation made me take a look back on my past years of school. He was right, I do not remember the grades I had back in tenth grade, but I do remember being stressed throughout tenth grade over my grades. I remember thinking that any lower grade was the end of the world.
When high school is over, will I remember that one, insignificant grade from one, insignificant test? Of course not. What am I going to remember? I will remember as myself, not a number. My English teacher will not remember me for that 94, he will remember me for all of the hard work I put into everything I did, being in the classroom or outside of the classroom. I will be remembered for my passion. I will be remembered for the times that I stood up for what I believed in. I will be remembered for my motivation to do my best in everything that I did. As for my English teacher, I will not remember him for the exams that he gave us or for the books he made us read. I will remember him for what he taught about myself. Grades are important, education is important, but in the grand scheme of things, a number on a piece of paper is nothing compared to your experiences. That is what you will remember.