More Than the Degree by Rayna

More Than the Degree by Rayna - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

More Than the Degree

She woke up every morning to the same beginning. She would roll over at 5:30 a.m. with her internal clock buzzing inside. Her feet would slide out from underneath the shaggy quilt and she would give a small stretch before climbing down from the top bunk, taking extra care not to disturb the little ones sleeping below. Her footsteps were muffled with quiet practice. Each minuet in the morning was cherished. They were the few moments she had alone in the day.

She knew her day would begin with the usual routine. A shower was optional. She was never certain whether or not if the water had been turned off or had returned for the month. She would unlock the front door when a few minutes later she would hear her mother tumble inside after a long night shift, she was supposedly working to keep their small family scraping by. Their mother would mumble a few jumbled words before her daughter would lead her to the back bedroom to undress and get a day’s rest before heading out again that evening. After her mother was snoring soundly, she would focus on the rest of the children. Reaching into the cabinet, she would remove a half empty bottle of peppermint oil from its place and wait till the other children were awake so she could apply a small bit behind their ears. She would take the trash out, and start the other duties required of her to maintain the poor shack they called a home. After each of them was dressed with the same clothes as the day before, they would set out to catch the bus in hopes of getting breakfast at the school cafeteria.

The sympathetic lunch ladies knew her family well and sometimes they would give them an extra piece of fruit as they passed through the breakfast line. After that, she knew she would be required to follow all the rules. She would see that her siblings were off to class before heading to the dreaded halls of high school. School was difficult for her. The letters were always jumbled up on the page. People were always less than amiable. Conversations would stop when she would pass and whispers would always start. They knew what family she was from and she felt a wall put up over and over again every time her name was called out. She built up walls so high. Teachers and counselors were always talking about the great opportunities for college and great footholds in life. They spoke of words such as “effort” and “success”. She could not imagine having a conversation with her mom that lasted more than the usual mumblings. College seemed inconceivable. It seemed safer to focus on obtaining a minimum wage job after high school like her mom. At least it would be another income for the other kids. Her life seemed to be heading for the inevitable minimum wage earnings of her mother. She imagined herself in ten years washed up on food stamps and welfare.

Her teachers did not notice her. That seemed to be the best thing. She rarely ever got in trouble except for the deficiency in her grades. While her head told her invisibility was a superpower, her heart told her it was a fatal flaw. Sometimes she felt she was screaming. She felt herself stuck in a game of hide and seek where all the other players had left the game. The singular person that ever took any notice of her existence was her math teacher. She seemed to look beyond her trashy clothes and messy physique.

Ten years later the same girl was investing in the lives of students as a teacher herself. The biggest influence in her life had been the only person to care to say hello. Her math teacher’s influence had continued with her throughout the years until it destroyed her walls and gave light to possibility. If there is one difference teacher’s can make, it is investing in the lives of their students. Not every student comes from a broken home or a difficult lifestyle. But, every student should have an opportunity to succeed. Teachers must learn to look beyond the outside to work on tapping into the potential within. Teachers can teach more than what’s listed on their college degree. And most of the time, those lessons are the most valuable.