Integrity is Everything! by True

Integrity is Everything! by True - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

There is one school in this country that already has the elective class that should be taught in every school. How do I know it exists in only one school? Because my mom created it! It’s called Integrity is Everything, and it’s all about character traits.

Fifteen years ago, Mom was asked to teach an elective class of her choosing. She’d been a teacher for 10 years at that point, and one thing that stood out to her over the years was the lack of character in students. So many kids were bullying, lying, being lazy, and acting rudely. She also noticed self-confidence and empathy issues. She decided she wanted to do something about it, so she asked her principal if she could create a curriculum to help with it. Luckily he said yes.

The two most important goals of the class are self-reflection and improving yourself every day. Students do thinking about their actions and by learning not only the definition of traits, but also how they can apply it to their everyday lives. Examples of traits that are covered are friendship, kindness, tolerance, patience, responsibility, empathy, effort, grit, consideration, and leadership, just to name a few. When talking about how they can demonstrate these traits, Mom is only satisfied when the responses are specific and show self-reflection. She tells the kids she wants to be able to see the action or hear the words that would show the trait.

Example: leadership.
Instead of, “I can show leadership by being a role model for my younger brother”, kids could say, “I can show leadership by not talking back to my parents in front of my younger brother because I know he copies everything I do.”

Example: effort.
Instead of, “I can show effort at school by getting good grades”, a student could say, “I can show effort at school by asking my teacher if I can correct and return an assignment that I got a bad grade on instead of just accepting it.”

Example: kindness.
Instead of, “I can demonstrate kindness at home by being nice”, a student could say, “I can demonstrate kindness at home by making sure to tell my grandma that dinner was good, even if I didn’t really like it.”

I was lucky enough to have this class when I was in middle school, and some of the main ideas I took away from it are:
• Integrity is the “Mama Trait” because all other traits are a part of it.
• Everyone has a story. Be kind always.
• You can be a friend to others and to yourself.
• Every life has value and is important.
• Full effort is full victory. If you try your best, you never fail.
• Find a way to make someone smile today.
• Respect is not a two-way street. You should respect everyone even if they don't act respectfully towards you.
• Loyalty can be given to people, but it can also be shown to your ideas, beliefs, and goals.
• My attitude is my choice. I will get what I focus on.

She calls this a “heart-smart” class and tells the kids that most classes in school are “head-smart classes”. Science, math, social studies, and literacy, etc. are really important, she says to them, but just as important is the ability to be heart-smart. She says that Martin Luther King, Jr. agrees with her, and this definitely gets their attention! She shows them this quote to prove her point: “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.” She lets them know they’re lucky to be in that class, and I agree with her.

What could be more important that having empathy for others?
What could be more important than showing respect and kindness to everyone?
What could be more important than trying to be a little bit better today than you were yesterday?

This is absolutely the most important elective class that should be in every single school. Integrity really is everything.