The Most Important Lesson I've Ever Learned by Marisa

The Most Important Lesson I've Ever Learned by Marisa - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Teachers have a very important role in their students’ lives. Not only do teachers instill in students the knowledge that will possibly benefit them in their future education and careers, but they can provide them with many important life lessons as well. I’ve been fortunate to have numerous teachers that have been able to do all of these things for me and more. However, one teacher in particular, my 12th grade Human Anatomy teacher Mrs. Merzbacher, provided me with a lesson that to this day I still carry with me. The lesson was simple: never sell yourself short. In this essay, I’ll explain how this lesson came into my life and why it is still important to me.
For most of my educational experience I was labeled as being smart and hardworking by others. However, I never felt like I was utilizing my full potential. I would do what the teacher required, which every once and awhile did surpass their expectations, but rarely ever more than that. Once a task or assignment became too challenging I would either not do it or complete enough to be able to turn it in. I could excel in educational areas where I felt confident but then once I was taken out of my comfort zone I didn’t even want to try. I think this lack of effort was due to viewing myself as an average student. Because I perceived myself as being an average student there was no point in studying, putting in the extra hours on tough assignments, or seeking additional help from teachers.
This lackluster work ethic lasted throughout most of high school until an exchange I had with my Human Anatomy teacher, Mrs. Merzbacher. In that course there would be times where I would do extremely well on assignments and my teacher would be absolutely proud. However, there were times when we would cover a difficult chapter and I would get so frustrated that I didn’t even attempt to see if I did all the assignments right, let alone study the chapter. Mrs. Merzbacher wondered why I was constantly shifting between doing good to doing bad on assignments and I explained how I didn’t see the point in putting in any effort towards something I would probably fail. I saw that she was getting ready to respond and was not prepared for how impactful her next statement would be on me. She simply told me “Don’t sell yourself short”. She saw the potential in me and how shameful that I was not fully utilizing it. That was the first time I ever truly felt that from another person and it profoundly changed how I viewed myself.
After high school I took that lesson to heart. I made sure to put in as much work and effort I could into all my courses in order to ensure that I was doing my best. Anytime I would get a difficult assignment, I would just remember my teacher’s advice and knew not to count myself out so quickly. Plus, there were times when I initially thought an assignment was going to be difficult and once I started finally working on it I saw that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I now knew not to be dismissive with my scholarly abilities and instead make use of them. And it is all thanks to Mrs. Merzbacher
Mrs. Merzbacher’s advice has not just applied to grades or schoolwork but educational and life opportunities as well. I have always been a shy and reserved person and therefore always thought I needed to stick to doing things that a shy and reserved person should do. I would avoid presentations when I could and would never put myself in a situation where I was the center of attention. Looking back on those experiences, however, I realize that I missed out on a lot of opportunities to grow as a person because of the fear that I would be too nervous or that people would sense my anxiety. Now I take advantage of chances to be vocal, give a presentation, or to be the center of attention. Rather than view those situations as obstacles, I see those moments as opportunities to go outside my comfort zone. I would never have developed that point of view without my teacher’s advice. It is once I stopped selling myself short that I began to put myself in situations that previously made me nervous so that I could conquer my fears rather than have them hold me back.
As one can see, my teacher’s advice has had a huge impact on me. It has motivated me to take on new opportunities and work to my fullest potential, rather than place myself in a box and only do work that is passable. I owe my new work ethic and life perspective to my teacher and the lesson she gave me. That lesson may be 5 years old but it is still as relevant today as it was back then.