Grandpa's Bequeath by Robert

Grandpa's Bequeath by Robert - September 2013 Scholarship Essay

I didn’t know it but my grandfather is my grandfather was my role model. He was preparing me for the rest of my life before I even knew it. My grandfather has always said that “Your parents teach you to walk, your teachers open the doors, but you must decide to enter the room.” I always took his mantra at face value but now as I prepare for college. I realize that my grandpa meant this in a figurative sense. I  believe what he was trying to convey was that my parents provide me with the fundamentals in life and  my teachers build on that with specifics like grammar, calculus, and higher levels of thinking which open up metaphorical doors for opportunity. However, I must decide to strive for excellence and pursue those opportunities wherever they take me.
            My parents have always supportive of me as I bounced from soccer, to marching band, to tennis, and so on. They never said stick with this and you will eventually like it. They entrusted me with the skills to decide whether I would like the activities that I partook in and set me free. They have always encouraged me to never settle for less than my best and the best for me.
            As I have grown older and passed from school to school my teachers have had nothing but the best to say about me. Whenever I was struggling I never hesitated to ask for extra help after school or during my free period and they were always very accepting. Furthermore teachers like Mrs. Deich, my AP Literature and Composition teacher, see the potential in me that even I didn’t see yet. For example, during class we were discussing a line of a futuristic short story which was, “Over time, some have determined that the only way to live is to die.” I made the comment that, “Without the limitations of death you cannot live.” My teacher was taken back she said that what “I” said was prolific and so eloquent, but to me it was just another of my thoughts. As the year continued I began to see that my class relied on me to make sense of the literature we read and to my surprise everything I said had deep meaning even to my fellow classmates. Mrs. Deich helped me to achieve my fullest potential and realize that I not only want to major in computer engineering but also minor in American Literature.
            When I was a general tutor for National Honors Society I tried to instill the same idea that my grandfather, parents, and teachers did for me. As I taught some sophomores and juniors about algebra 2 I began to see the glow in their eyes that my mentors now see in mine and I know that doors are now open for them as well.
            Because I finally understand my grandfather philosophy, I believe I can continue with my life enlightened and ready to spread my knowledge to the open minds of the next generation. As well as seek and take advantage of new opportunities.