English Excellence by Whitney

English Excellence by Whitney - October 2016 Scholarship Essay

If for a day I could trade positions with a teacher, I would enjoy teaching English for the day. I feel fortunate that the private elementary school I attended through 8th grade taught a very advanced level of English, which helped me be well prepared for my future.

Unfortunately, my freshman year at high school, I quickly noticed that many of the other students struggled in English. Talking with my classmates, many of whom are at the top of our class, I realized that the elementary schools they attended did not teach a very high skill level of English. As such, they have struggled completing writing assignments for school.

As we graduate in the spring and begin college next fall, I know that we will be faced with many essays and reports. It will be even more important that we are competent and able to complete the writing assignments. After college, as we enter the career force, it will be imperative that we have good communication skills, both written and oral, to succeed in life. If we struggle with our communication, it gives others the impression that we are careless in our work and not educated enough to complete the job for which we have been assigned.

I feel fortunate that I received excellent English education and I would like to help my fellow classmates excel in English as well. Without solid English education, they will have challenges ahead of them in college and in their careers. I would love to teach English for a day and communicate to them the importance of solid education in English.

I was surprised when I entered high school to discover that most high schools do not teach English beyond the freshman year. Instead, they focus on Literature. While Literature is important, without solid teachings in English, we cannot help those students who did not receive sufficient English education in their elementary and junior high years. We send them off to college and the work force ill prepared.

For me, English is the foundation of my future. I want to help my classmates be secure in the future as well.