A Pleasant Surprise by Nisha

A Pleasant Surprise by Nisha - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Mr. Johnson resembled a wolf. Not a domesticated one that you would see in a wildlife habitat or a zoo. The kind you would see if you happened to stumble upon its territory late at night while reeking of meat; rabid and angry. He was of average height and build, with a facial expression that warned anyone who made eye contact with him to immediately clear his path. However, his biggest weapon were his insults and threats that were coarse enough to put a military general to shame. Mr. Johnson had earned quite the reputation on campus; those who survived his class would warn incoming juniors of its horrors. They wished those of us who thought we were brave enough to face the challenge good luck, all while shaking their heads in empathy and disappointment.

I heard that Mr. Johnson would kick students out of his class for good if they were so much as tell another student what page the class was on during his lectures. I was told that failure to complete any assignment would lead to Mr. Johnson sending even the toughest students home in tears. I was warned that the workload and the course material would leave students huddled over in a fetal position, wondering what on Earth they had gotten themselves into and just how many days were left until summer break. However, what I wasn't aware of was the massive attitude adjustment I was in for, and just how thankful I would be towards the man who was once the bane of my school day.

It was during class one day, when we were given free time to work amongst ourselves on a group project, that a member of my group blurted out how difficult school had become and how stressed out she was trying to balance all that she had on her plate. Mr. Johnson overheard the conversation, and as he stepped over to us I feared that we were his next victims in his daily routine of haranguing students. Instead, he pointed out how disappointing it was to see so many students throw away or take advantage of education when there are people in other countries that risk their lives for it. For every student that complains of how difficult a teacher is, there is a child who craves the same discipline and mentor-ship. For every student that claims the workload of a course is too much to handle, there is a child that is overjoyed to be learning at such a level. For every student that wakes up in the morning dreading school, there is a child that considers the school bell music to their ears. He concluded by saying that no matter how prevalent the school system is in a society, education is always a privilege.

Perhaps it was the utter relief of him interjecting into our conversation, rather than punishing us for spending precious class time off topic. Perhaps it was the shock of seeing his calm side as opposed to his usual intimidating persona. Whatever it was, that moment and those words have echoed into my head thousands of times. In that moment my disposition towards education changed for the better. In my eyes, education had always been a right. It is the key to success. Because I was promised an education, I thought I was guaranteed success as well. However, what I had failed to see was that no matter how prevalent it is in a society, education is an honor. Mr. Johnson's words made me realize how fortunate I am to live in among the few societies where going to school was not only easily accessible, but encouraged. He also made me realize how much I had abused such a privilege.

My view on education now can be summarized in the words of H. L Menken, “what men value in this world is not rights but privileges.” It was not a right for me to experience Mr. Johnson's class; it was an honor. It was not a right for me to graduate high school and receive my first degree; it was a prestige. It certainly was not my right to be accepted into a university to further my education; it was a privilege. These little things, which I once saw as minor accomplishments, transformed immediately into occurrences that I will forever cherish. All thanks to a man that was once the source of my academic fears and anxiety. It was an overwhelming and pleasant surprise and I am eternally thankful.