Igniting a Spark by Megan

Igniting a Spark by Megan - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

“Megan, it’s time to get up and get ready for school!” As I drift in and out of sleep, my mom attempted to wake me up for the day ahead. Yet I did not want to wake up and go to school. In fact, I did not want to go to school most days. As a second grader with anxiety around school, my teacher, and math, it was especially difficult to get up in the morning. These feelings began the previous year. Struggling to turn-in my homework in second grade, I distinctly remember leaving many math worksheets inside my desk rather than turning them in, all in fear of making mistakes. After my parents realized, my mom began helping me in math in the evenings. To provide an environment in which I could learn and grow best, I switched schools just before beginning third grade.
Wearing a new purple shirt and skort my mom and I purchased for the first day of third grade, I distinctly remember walking into the classroom and noticing something felt different. This was a new school with new opportunities. While I was still nervous, I had a fresh start and a chance to make new friends. I soon felt comfortable, at ease, and found myself excited to learn. Miss Strefling (now Theimer) made all the difference.

While we all had our struggles with various subjects, the support among classmates allowed us to thrive alongside each other. In Miss Strefling’s classroom, mistakes were acceptable and part of the learning process. The way she approached teaching made learning feel exciting again. On occasion, Miss Strefling would even leave the classroom and magically reappear as “Chef Jessica.” “Chef Jessica'' would show us how to make something, perhaps for science class or just for a tasty treat, but always to learn. Projects like book report presentations gave opportunities to express stories read in a variety of creative ways. Using my imagination to explore, learn, and grow in diverse ways, I found a new depth to the world outside the small third grade classroom window.

I also began to notice opportunities within my own place in the classroom. Unlike in second grade, where I felt afraid to speak up and help others for fear of being told “no,” Miss Strefling encouraged and acknowledged when one child chose to help another. As a third grader, I soon began to think creatively about how I could help the classmates around me. I developed practical ways to help a neurodivergent classmate, Alex. Although a friend with Asperger’s Syndrome, who was sensitive to sounds and struggled in certain subjects, he loved music and choir. To meet some of Alex’s specific needs, I began creating worksheets that combined fun activities and puzzles he would enjoy with academic problems. After the first few worksheets, Alex began asking for more! As I realized these worksheets were helpful to Alex, I began regularly creating them.

Miss Strefling valued my interactions with Alex and his progress. She expressed how she saw it was helpful to Alex and encouraged me to continue helping him. If Miss Strefling had discouraged my helping, I may not have chosen to pursue music therapy in graduate school or realized the joy I find in helping others. This first instance of helping a friend with a disability allowed me to see that I enjoyed coming alongside others and helping them thrive.

Learning and attending school was no longer tiresome or dreaded but fun, enjoyable, and worthwhile. While I had a difficult time at my previous school, Miss Strefling helped me gain a foundation of not only enjoying learning but feeling more comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. Because she renewed within me a desire to enjoy the educational process, I quickly found myself excited for each school day.

No longer did my mom need to wake me in the morning. After the first day of third grade, I began getting up on my own, ready for the day ahead. This sudden change was most certainly not a coincidence. Because of Miss Strefling and the classroom environment she fostered, I felt enthusiastic about learning – even in the difficult third-grade concepts of roman numerals and long-division.

I owe my deepest gratitude to Miss Strefling for her support of me as well as my classmates, the care she demonstrated to us, and the deep love of learning she nurtured. Without her I might not be pursuing a career path that will allow me to help others with various needs every day. With a re-patterned view of school and learning, she helped me see learning in a new, exciting way. She instilled within me a deep desire to grow and be curious about the world around me. Most importantly, Miss Strefling’s ability to see the value in her students encouraging others caused me to tap into something deep inside of me. Her encouragement of me as I helped Alex sparked a greater longing to help and support others. Through Miss Strefling’s life, I saw that all people are worthy of support and have equal value. I want to ignite this same spark in others, as I study and practice music therapy. As I continue to carry this desire with me into life beyond that third-grade classroom window, I am forever grateful for the influence she had on my life educationally, socially, and personally.