A Lesson to Live by Forever by Rowan

A Lesson to Live by Forever by Rowan - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my years in the public school system, I have had my fair share of teachers. Some were forgettable, while others have left an impression on me permanently. From helping me through troubling times and supporting me in my life and endeavors, I have truly been blessed with some of the most incredible teachers. While I had some teachers who were ineffective at best, I have had a vast amount of spectacular teachers who more than made up for the lack of quality from the rest.
I always knew that my 9th grade AP human geography teacher was unique. He was friendly with all his students and always tried to make them feel important in their own way. In fact, we were so close, that I called him my “school dad.” My teacher’s true value, however, was evident halfway through my sophomore year in high school. In January of 2015, my then 25 year old brother “came out of the closet.” I am very supportive of the LGBT community; however, my brother was older than most when he came out, and he kept his true identity a secret for nearly ten years. Knowing me, and knowing how this news affected me, my teacher set aside an afternoon and spent the better part of an hour talking to me and making sure that I could handle the situation. He promised that he would always be willing to talk and that I could always come to him for advice and come to him to share my thoughts. His concern for my feelings and well-being made me feel like I was a very important and valuable person, which helped me to feel more confident and better get through that rough patch. Without the generosity and kindness of this teacher, it would have been much harder to get past that part of my life.
All the way back to elementary school, I have had teachers go out of their way to help me, or to do something for me. When I was in the third grade, I was cast as a lead character at the nearby high school. Exciting as this was for me, the high school put on some performances for elementary schools during the school day, and I had to find a way to get to the school. Both my parents worked, so my school principal told my parents not to worry, she would drive me to the performance. Furthermore, my teachers at the time set up a field trip so that the entire third grade could come see me perform. In this situation, these teachers and the principal did not have to go out of their way to show their support, but their actions proved that they were supportive and it made me feel important and encouraged me to continue to do what I loved. The warmth and support that I felt from these educators made me feel like I was on top of the world. I would never have been as successful in this show had I not had the support of my teachers and my principal.
This past school year, my junior year, I was gifted with one of the most incredible teachers that I have ever had. My AP U.S. history teacher is one for the record books. Not only does she love what she does and makes it clear with every lesson, she is always making sure that all of her students are okay and feeling good. On several occasions she would notice that I was not as responsive or enthusiastic as usual, so she would make sure that everything was okay for me. This showed me that my feelings had value and could affect other people. It was even more evident when she would go and talk to my friend, who would sometimes come to class upset from her struggles in AP calculus. I can’t even say how many times I saw her helping my friend through each predicament and ensuring her that she was smart and could handle any challenge. This only further proved that this teacher cared so much about her students that she had to help them through any crisis before she could feel comfortable moving on. Such compassion and concern for students is rare and valuable in a teacher. Not only was she a great person, she was also an incredibly talented and effective teacher, as evidenced by my score of a 5 on the final AP exam in the class.
Overall, I have learned a lot from my teachers. No, the most important things I have learned have not been square roots, state capitals, or spelling. The most important thing that I have learned from a teacher is that compassion and support go a long way and that a little kindness can help make the world a better place. I can’t think of a better person to embody such compassion and kindness besides these teachers, for they have shown it so well. I am very grateful that I have had such wonderful experiences to learn these things.