History: The Present by Maxine

History: The Present by Maxine - August 2016 Scholarship Essay

History was never my favorite subject. The once narrow minded me found no space in my brain for the provisions of the notorious Stamp Act or Ulysses S. Grant’s clinching battle plans. From a young age, I set my mind to biology and the rest of the sciences, staying as far as I could from the social studies classes I dreaded. I would happily spend hours committing to memory the parts of the cell, but when it came time to memorize the chronology of events leading up to World War I, the facts just could not find a way into my brain.
Unsurprisingly, history was consistently my worst grade and least favorite subject at school for years, and none of this had to do with my teachers, as some may suspect. My history teachers have always been intelligent individuals with an admirable interest in their subject, which was something completely incomprehensible to me throughout all those years.
Then in junior year of high school, my understanding and thoughts regarding social studies changed. Don’t get me wrong; this was not an overnight, hit-in-the-face, magical transformation. This change was slow, so gradual that only after it happened did I become aware of its occurrence.
Mr. Lorge was my American history teacher that year, and like those who held the honorable position prior to him, he was very knowledgeable and respectable. However, above that, he was inspirational and motivational. I’ll be the first to admit that when he announced the a quiz on the first day of school, I was not the least bit excited. I had expected this: another year of another teacher firing unrelated facts about American history at students, another year of history staying at the very bottom of my list of favorite subjects.
But Mr. Lorge proved me wrong. He took a different approach in teaching his students. Instead of merely acting as the middleman, mindlessly feeding historic details to students, Mr. Lorge taught history lessons that were woven with life lessons. While he spoke of the Gettysburg Address, he taught us to appreciate the community we lived in and the resources we once took for granted. He pointed out to us the patterns repeated throughout our nation’s history, making us acknowledge the fact that history was not just a record of the events that occurred in the past, but also a moldable template for the future. He taught us the importance of being aware of our responsibilities, as leaders of our generation.
With his teachings, the class became more knowledgeable regarding both history and practicality. History to me was no longer a boring subject all about expired policies and outdated orders. We came out of his class not just with a better understanding of American history, but also better equipped as citizens on this planet.
Following that class, I signed up for a class on U.S. Government for senior year, which was something I never expected I would do. I carried to that class the unique knowledge that Mr. Lorge had taught me, and I will continue to carry that knowledge with me to college and the rest of my future. In fact, I have just recently decided on minoring in American Studies. Because of Mr. Lorge and the history class that changed my life, I am now much more openminded and appreciative. Sure, history is about the past, but it is also about the present.