The Magnificent Mrs. Rempel by Salome

The Magnificent Mrs. Rempel by Salome - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

The person who truly impacted my school experience was my English and Drama teacher, Mrs. Rempel. When I started my sophomore year of high school, I was not prepared for the outside world. I had spent the last few years locked away while trying to rebuild my life. I suffered from extreme anxiety, depression, and had recently been diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder. When I stepped back into school, I was withdrawn, scared, and I put all my effort into school work to avoid socializing. My English teacher, Mrs. Rempel, worked with me. Throughout the year, she allowed me to do group projects on my own and was extremely understanding of my requests for extended deadlines. I also would miss her class once a week to meet with the school's speech therapist but Mrs. Rempel didn't make a big deal of it and would exempt me from the class work.
When it came time to sign up for Junior year classes, I knew I wanted her again as a teacher but the only other classes she taught were Acting and Stagecraft. Though I did not like theater, I decided to sign up for Stagecraft the next year. Joining theater was terrifying. It was chaotic, loud, and a non-stop flurry of movement. Through it all, Mrs. Rempel was there to check in on how I was doing, and answer what were likely pretty dumb questions. Through her class, Stagecraft, I was able to try things and ease myself into a whole new side of school I had never seen. I joined more productions, took on more tasks, and under her guidance, I even recently wrote and directed my own production with full support of the school.
Mrs. Rempel helped me find a whole new side of myself that feels at home in school. I was able to achieve things I never thought possible and as I reach the end of my senior year, I know I will miss her positive attitude and passions when I go on to college. Mrs. Rempel gave me hope, courage, and confidence that will stay with me for the rest of my life.