Finding Happiness from Within by Nathan

Finding Happiness from Within by Nathan - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Mrs. Smith had frizzy hair, large purple glasses, a smile that could end a war, and jokes that could silence a classroom. To many students she was just another teacher grading tests and signing off on high school credits. But, to me she was my closest friend and most trusted advisor. Although it has been approximately four years since I last talked to her, I still think about what she taught me. From middle school to the end of high school I was bullied frequently and outside of school I lived with my mom who was overcoming clinical depression. Mrs. Smith listened to my problems and taught me how to take control of my own life and find inner purpose and happiness.

I am currently 24, working full time to pay for graduate school this fall. I would not be pursuing further education without the lessons Mrs. Smith taught me. Day to day I remember walking the school halls, feeling low because I struggled to make friends regardless of hard I tried. People would call me names that I currently find humorous but back then I found detrimental. Lunch time was the worst: extremely political and hierarchical and I was lucky if anyone even let me stand near a table. One day I decided that instead of hiding out in the library during lunch I would go eat in history class and begin studying for a test. I always hear of people speaking of “pivotal moments” that drastically changed their course of life and I believe this is one of mine.

From grades that just barely passed to B’s and ultimately A’s, I worked harder than ever after meeting Mrs. Smith. She helped my confidence increase exponentially by providing constant encouragement, feedback, and new ways to think. There is a quote by a famous neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanthi, that I believe personifies some of what I took away from Mrs. Smith: “you can’t ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving.” For so much of my life I had low self-esteem yet here I was undergoing a drastic change. I have always considered myself to be the quintessential average person until I learned ways to break free and create a new definition for myself.

Mrs. Smith put a lot of emphasis on how temporary the present is, specifically the ridicule I experienced in high school. By helping me set goals for college and working one on one with me, she taught me to take control of my life. Shortly after high school, I went to Texas A&M University. For four years I worked part time, participated in nine student organizations, and took approximately 15 hours each semester. The skills I learned from her directly impacted how I perceived the profound challenges around me and how I felt about myself. I was no longer focused on what people thought about me and my self-esteem remained at a healthy level. My mom still continued to fight depression but I learned to work with her and not let her mental condition affect my personal life. There are many factors in life that are out of our control: death of a loved one, illness, and job loss are some examples. However, we can control our attitude and perception of these challenging situations.

It is always funny to me how there are seemingly small moments in life that look to have little purpose yet in retrospect are extremely impactful. Teachers plant seeds of thought that grow over a lifetime and can drastically change an individual on the inside. Mrs. Smith was the first person to help me find confidence from within and to push myself to become better. Had I of asked myself in 2007 if I believe I would ever go to college, let alone graduate school, I probably would have said no. I currently volunteer at a non-profit called Big Brother Big Sisters and I work with a middle schooler who reminds me a lot of myself: awkward and made fun of, confused and misunderstood. Teachers act as unbiased mediators that play a unique role in student’s lives, a role parents may not be fulfilling. Mrs. Smith taught me how to find inner happiness and that one simple act of caring can greatly change a person’s life.