Dedication by Michelle

Dedication by Michelle - June 2021 Scholarship Essay

Commitment is a promise. Committing to a person, an opportunity, or an event means promising to follow through as there is someone or something expecting you to be there. I learned what commitment means through a teacher in high school.

Mrs. Witt taught my AP U.S. History class junior year. Additionally, she was the National Honor Society and Student Ambassadors advisor. Being in both of these organizations and later being the National Honor Society secretary, I often got to work closely with Mrs. Witt. She truly embodied the phrase to “lead by example.” She modeled the utmost respect and professionalism, and always called on her students to practice the same. Students and staff could often find her staying late into the evening, even to put together decorations for the next event that NHS was putting on.

There are a million stories to tell of Mrs. Witt and the way she inspired many of her students. One that, even two years later, I often remember is of one evening when a group of us stayed after school with her to work on the next event. The other students had just headed over to the next room to grab supplies, and she tells me she heard that I was scared of her. Imagine how simultaneously appalled and shocked I felt in that moment. It was only partially true. I explained how what I was scared of was disappointing her as I could see how much she cared about her students’ success as well as the events and activities which the organizations put on for the general student body. I saw how much effort and time she put towards these things and hoped they all would go perfectly as some sort of repayment for everything she sacrificed for the students.

Mrs. Witt being Mrs. Witt, she laughed but understood. This was simply the work that needed to be done. Committing to these large projects means there might be sacrifices made, and Mrs. Witt understood what she was signing up for. It showed me how important it is to carefully choose commitments which you have absolute passion for and it will not seem so much like “work.” Mrs. Witt’s passion is for her students, and she showed how she will do so much in order for them to have a great high school experience.

Another thing Mrs. Witt taught me was how special thank you cards are. As an NHS executive board, she always had us hand write thank you cards to all of the faculty, staff, and outside volunteers who helped us with our projects. She would even write random thank you notes here and there to students for their service. This is essay is one of my thank you notes to Mrs. Witt. She is a devoted, powerful, and genuine person who I am so grateful to have met and learn from. Thank you, Mrs. Witt.