My Life's Teacher by Monselyn

My Life's Teacher by Monselyn - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

As a child, my eyes never failed to perceive my parents as flawless heroes, my life teachers. No one could hold or surpass the immense beauty and kindness my mother’s heart homed, and my father’s profound intellectual capacity was incomparable. My father has always had the gift of expressing complex ideas using the simplest and the fewest words possible, all while maintaining the idea’s content fully intact. Although I may not have inherited that same gift he has, I do owe much of my motivation and desire to succeed to my father.
My teacher came from a family unable to provide for even the most basic necessities, which unfortunately resulted in him not completing his academic education. However, his love of knowledge and learning often had, and still has him hunting for books, articles, documentaries, and news reports. Before I was able to comprehend the intricacies of certain topics on my own, my father broke everything down for me, using what was familiar to me to help me fully grasp the unknown. The way he sees the world and the way he is able to create a vivid illustration guided me to, rather than seeing facts stand on their own, tie them with all of their branches of truth to create a greater picture. It is that process that enables me to handle from the most mundane of things to the great, complex ideas possible within human reasoning. There is not more I can ask from a teacher.
Not only has he implemented his ideas unto me, but he has also raised an important question. Every day after arriving from work, he would ask “how did you change the world today?” My usual reply consisted of a chuckle, a puzzled look and a shaking head. At that age I didn’t think much of what I saw as just silly little questions. It wasn’t until I reached a higher level of understanding that I finally “got” why he refused to stop asking me the same question. He wanted to instill in me the idea, the belief, that I could change the world. He was successful.
I understand that there are innumerable ways to go about “changing the world”. The world I want to change does not necessarily involve all seven billion residing within. If I can change just one person’s life, I would have succeeded. Accomplishing this begins with the desire for knowledge, understanding, and what will set the springs into motion: education. My greatest teacher, to whom I owe so much, has influenced me to use the known to understand the unknown. He has influenced me to love learning by setting the example. For this reason, I have decided to make the best of my education. I want to become a health care professional- one who is sincerely dedicated to the recuperation of her patients and to making her father proud.