Who is your academic role model? Why? by Nicholas

Who is your academic role model? Why? by Nicholas - March 2021 Scholarship Essay

In life, we tend to gravitate towards certain people that we want to emulate. We think they have figured out the keys to their life. These are the people who we aspire to measure up to one day. We look to celebrities, historical figures, family members, neighbors and classmates, and more. When it comes to academics, there tends to be at least one or more people in our lives who impact us just beyond expectations. In my life, there has been one person who has become my academic role model. He is my high school history teacher, Mr. Norlander.
I was first introduced to Mr. Norlander my junior year of high school. As I absolutely adored history (which I still do today), I always really looked up to my history teachers. My freshman year teacher was fantastic but my sophomore year teacher had dwindled my enthusiasm. When I first walked into my junior classroom and sat down for another great history class, I was instantly spell-bound. His ability to hook classmates from all walks-of-life and interest levels and pull them into the world of history astonished me. No matter the lesson, no matter the period, everyone always looked forward to one of his classes. I was so taken by him, in fact, that I became his “Teacher’s Aid” my senior year for both semesters.
There are more reasons why he is not just my favorite teacher, but my “academic role model” as well. The main reason has to deal with me as a person. For much of my high school career, teachers had encouraged me to stifle my true personality in order to make it through high school. However, when I got to his class, he helped me to break from my shell and really embrace who I was. I was one of his “stronger” students in class, and always gave it my all in every class period. He liked my enthusiasm and commitment and knowledge-base so much that he allowed me to teach all of his junior classes for a day, and just recently invited me to again teach another of his classes.
Mr. Norlander has helped me to understand that exemplary grades aren’t the only thing that matters in schooling. While many people around you may be trying to just pass a class, actually enjoying and being an active part of that class is exhilarating. This has not only helped me to enjoy my high school experience more, but will also help me along the way in the rigors of college. I will never forget what he has told me, and will always look back on him as, by far, the best teacher, mentor and role model I have ever had.