Tina Thomen to the Rescue by Payton

Tina Thomen to the Rescue by Payton - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

I remember it wasn't too long ago when I would dread waking up for school. I only went to go see my friends, and barely tried to achieve high B's and low A's. Those were satisfactory for me. But this past year, my AP Language and Composition teacher, Tina Thomen, broke the chains that weighed me down. Her class, the environment of her classroom, her methods, her personality--I finally enjoyed a class and tried my absolute hardest to achieve a high A. The grade of the true Payton Conine.

Every day, I could not wait to go to my fourth mod. Her class was such a pleasure to be in. I learned something every day, and I didn't even mind the process in doing so. Each night, I was pounded with homework, but the homework I was assigned for AP Lang was comparably enjoyable. Mrs. Thomen did not force us to write in-class essays every day. She did not force us to follow some boring, unhelpful curriculum like most other teachers. I would fall asleep each night excited for my English class the next day. That truly says something--I have always hated English classes. However, after taking her class, my writing score on the SAT is now higher than my math score. Math used to be my best subject. Mrs. Thomen found a way to turn that around.

Mrs. Thomen has shaped me to be a well-rounded student. She has taught me to apply myself, and has unknowingly portrayed to me the consequences of my trials. I got a final grade of a high A in her class. A college class. I was only a junior in high school, and others barely got a C with other teachers. She worked with everyone. She is the reason why I will forever dedicate as much of my time as possible to my education. I aspire to be the best I can be--it can guide me to the higher places in which I need to be. I would just like to give a huge thank you to her, for being who she is and lifting me free from that prison mindset I was once in.