Teaching and Beyond by Naomi

Teaching and Beyond by Naomi - December 2015 Scholarship Essay

From my uncomfortable second period desk I listen to a short essay read aloud by another student. She soulfully reads her concerns about her future. Without the guidance of her school counselors, teachers, and parents she marks an “undeclared major” on all of her college applications. Her experience fills my thoughts as I walk from class to class moving me to visualize my own future.
Ten years from now I see myself living comfortably in California, pursuing a career as an educator at a junior high or high school. I spend extra time during lunch and after class with students discussing community service opportunities, college tours, and tutoring, making sure to answer every question I possibly can so the student doesn’t leave feeling neglected or aimless.
My long summer vacations and winter breaks allow me the freedom to explore abroad. I take trips to places like Thailand, Nigeria, and the Maldives; my experience in the field of education allows me to volunteer at the local schools while on my stay. I kick back reading books and grading papers as I eat my lunch at trendy restaurants during my layovers between flights. Each country I visit brings new experiences to share and a clearer understanding of the cultures of my students.
The future that I envision for myself can only be accomplished with the pursuit of higher education. The knowledge I acquire will not only help me to pursue my goal of becoming an educator in the United States but also abroad.
Studying at a university would allow me to become the teacher who ends the trend of students who feel they are not being helped enough in regards to what to do with their futures. I know that an education will allow me to embody that by taking courses towards the path of becoming a teacher and also those along the path of counseling and psychology, which I can incorporate into my lessons and mentorship.
The languages that I will learn from my education will facilitate the volunteer work that I see myself doing in ten years. I know that the education I will receive will only sharpen my teaching skills and communication with my students from both classrooms around the globe.
In conclusion, in ten years I see myself to negating the perpetuation that teachers are no help when in comes to assisting students in their decisions about their career paths. I also see myself traveling the world, utilizing my teaching abilities and practicing my foreign language skills, to volunteer at schools overseas. I visualize myself making the most out of my higher education to make sure that all of my students can pursue their goals with the same assurance that I pursue my own today.