A Teacher's Help and A Student's determination by Montserrat

A Teacher's Help and A Student's determination by Montserrat - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

Coming from a family that only speaks Spanish can be tough. It can take a toll in your education or learning skills. But sometimes with the help from the right people, learning a new language can actually become an easy task. This is how I overcame my struggle of learning how to speak English, and how my teacher helped me to achieve that.
My father reads, speaks, and understands English now, but when I was very young, both of my parents only spoke Spanish, which made me struggle in school. When I was in kindergarten, I didn’t understand a word my teacher or peers were saying, which made me feel out of place.Even though I didn’t understand a word anyone said, I still did well in school, but not as well as I should have been doing, and I was determined to learn English and catch up with my peers.
I’m thankful that I have my father’s fast learning skills, and I’m forever thankful for my teacher, because she helped me understand English. I would try to make connections with what someone said to what they did or showed, and my teacher would always try to include me with classroom discussion by asking me questions. My teacher was always kind to me, which helped me become more determined to learn English. I somehow even managed to make friends with kids that only could only speak English, and I would eventually start learning simple phrases said by them while we played.
Then came the most memorable day in my kindergarten life. My teacher asked, “How do you say leaf in Spanish?” In that moment I was excited and happy, because I understood every single word that came out of her mouth, and I raised my hand and said, “It’s called oja!” Now I'm a senior in High School that has been accepted to Oregon State University's Honors College, and I believe I would not be the person I am today without the help of my teacher and my determination.