Life Lessons by Moriah

Life Lessons by Moriah - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

All throughout school I didn’t really have a favorite teacher or a favorite class. That was until I started high school. After school being in session for only a week I found my favorite class, Agriculture Science one.Then, something happened that changed my life forever. I walked through the double doors of Richland High mid semester my freshman year. I never thought that I’d meet the world’s best teacher or mentor by moving only eight miles away.
My FFA Advisor and Ag teacher made an impact on my life, that changed me as a young girl forever. The day my Advisor met me he knew I was different than the other kids in my class. My second day at Richland and it was my first FFA meeting as a Richland FFA member. I remember it so vividly. There was only maybe five freshman at the meeting and they were all sitting in the back of the room next to upper classmen who I didn’t know. I sat down in the front row by myself. My Advisor started talking about State Convention, Contest teams, and special committees. He passed around a sheet of paper with contest teams and committees that we could choose to participate in. I wrote my name down for public speaking, something that terrified me but it was the only way to conquer my fear. I wrote my name down on about three different committees and passed the paper along to the others. Just by simply writing my name down volunteering myself, the new girl to just jump into everything showed him my passion for the FFA. I had more passion for that amazing organization then most of the graduating Seniors did.
Throughout high school I got closer with my advisor, I started taking more ag classes, and I spent more time in the AG room then I did anywhere else in the school. My home life isn’t the best, my dad isn’t around all of the time because he’s an alcoholic while my mom and I was classified at the poverty level. My Sophomore year my mom was really tight with money and my advisor helped me every way that he could. I never had to worry about needing something and not being able to get it, anything I needed for school or FFA he got for me. During my Junior year I ran for Area office and I got it, but my advisor helped me get there. He had faith in me that i’d be a area FFA officer.
As that school year went on I kept hinting to him that I wanted to go to National Convention during the fall of my Senior year. I finally talked him and my principal into having new fundraisers to raise money to go. I was ecstatic when he told me that with our Silent Auction we raised One thousand and six hundred dollars and we were able to go!Senior year came around and the only thing I talked about was interviewing for a State Office. I had mentioned it several times since my first State Convention my Freshman year, and here I was a Senior still talking to my Advisor about it. I ran and i’m currently serving as Missouri’s Area Sixteen State Vice President.
What important lesson did I learn from a teacher? I learned to have faith in myself, to trust myself in everything that I do, to always encourage others when they need it, and to always push myself towards my goals. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his help, faith, and encouragement that he gave me. To other students who weren’t active in FFA he was just another teacher. To me he was my friend, teacher, Advisor, mentor, and most importantly he was my FFA dad.