My Reading Hero by Mya

My Reading Hero by Mya - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my education, so far, only one teacher has really stood out to me. I call him a miracle worker. It was no surprise that Mr. Finnell was voted Teacher of the Year by the National Honors Society and served as the Commencement Speaker at this years graduation. Mr. Finnell was my ninth grade English teacher and was instrumental in my love for reading. Before high school I only read out of necessity and I was uninterested reading for fun. However now I can honestly say I truly enjoy reading, and on average I read four books a month. I have Mr. Finnell to thank, as he is the one who not only got me interested in the books that we had to read in school. Books that included The Hunger Games, Romeo and Juliet, and many short stories. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed reading any of those books had it not been for him. He constantly had a positive attitude and encouraged us to try our hardest.

Mr. Finnell always had new and exciting ways to make us think. He taught me that no one is ever too old to learn something new. For example he allowed us to teach him pop culture including the term “YOLO” and in return, it made our daily conversations relatable and interesting. He showed us that our education never ends even as we get older. Anyone who knows him will tell you that Mr. Finnell is a hard working teacher that cares for his students. Not only is he a great teacher, he happens to be an accomplished water-colorist. One of 30 national artists chosen to be juried into “Easels in Frederick,” an annual plein-air competition in Frederick, Maryland, Mr Finnell is also a talented artist.

In the beginning of my freshman year, I wasn't really interested in English. I always leaned towards math because I was good at it. As the first quarter progressed, Mr. Finnell introduced the Vocabulary Olympics to our class. He told us that we would find the vocabulary words in the books we read throughout the year. Then, at the end of the year we would play a big game that would test our knowledge on the words. He told us that the winning group would get a boost in our final grades.

We all wanted to win the good grades so we studied really hard. Mr. Finnell taught us new ways to analyze and understand the content that we had assigned to us. We were open to his learning methods because he was open to ours. The learning experience was shared throughout the classroom between both students and teacher. There was never a dull moment in that class and by the end of the year we were vocabulary whizzes. When the time came for the Vocabulary Olympics, we all knew the words and the scores were close. My team ended up winning with a lead of two points and we were ecstatic, but then we realized that we really didn't need the grade boost because our grades were already good!

Mr. Finnell inspired us to work hard and it showed in our final grades. My sophomore year of high school, I went into all of my classes with the same positive thinking towards my school work and it helped my grades improve. Mr. Finnell helped me realize that I need to work hard and have a positive attitude towards school to achieve good grades. He changed my outlook on school by showing me that it not only does it take a good work ethic, but it takes an open mind to achieve the things I want. I will always appreciate the lessons that Mr. Finnell taught me and carry them with me throughout life. As I start my junior year this year I am very grateful for the time I spent in Mr. Finnell’s class. I am looking toward my future, as I continue to learn that hard work pays off. I have worked very hard to keep my grades up so that I have a better chance of furthering my education. My reading skills are getting stronger with every book I read. Having a teacher such as Mr. Finnell has been a blessing that will stay with me forever.