A New Perspective by Yoanna

A New Perspective by Yoanna - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

It is no secret that the phrase “school is like a prison” is the most common analogy used among teenagers. The teachers are boring, the subjects are uninteresting, the food is puke worthy, and recess became nonexistent after 2nd grade. Education just seems to cause stress. “You have to write a 2,000 word essay by Monday. Oh and here is a study guide due tomorrow, and by the way remember that book you were supposed to read? Yeah you have a test on that on Wednesday. Have fun!” So what does it take to change an adolescent’s mentality about school? A parent? A friend? A sibling? Amazingly enough, it can be a teacher.

I have never been one to hate school. Homework didn’t bother me, test and quizzes would be no big deal. However as my high school career continued these things became more and more frequent to the point where nights of anxiety were friendly visitors. I began to question why I decided to take the classes I did, why I wanted to go to college, why I was spending so much time caring about how well I did in everything! Then I had a teacher who made me realize why I was putting so much effort into everything I did.

Mrs. Sowers is probably one of the wisest and most experienced teachers I have ever met. Even though she only teaches math, her knowledge expands past that of numbers and equations. She was the one to tell us that school is for those who thirst for knowledge. It is not for the idle or uninquisitive, but rather for those who strive to understand and wonder about the world. Though school may not seem like an example of enlightenment, the education that we leave school with is. Education is more than a building or a classroom; it is a concept, a goal, a mindset. School is merely one of the many vessels that deliver education. Learning and knowledge can be obtained through reading, observing, listening, questioning, asking, and experiencing. Mrs. Sowers made me realize that we never stop learning and we never stop getting an education, whether we like school or not.

Your education doesn’t stop the moment you graduate from high school or earn a degree in college. The only time you stop learning is when you die. Regardless if we realize it, knowledge is constantly changing and constantly being taken in by others. Learning is permanent, never temporary. This new revelation made me realize why I take hard classes and put so much effort into the little things. I enjoy learning, absorbing information, and discovering new things. My thirst for knowledge is constant and the way to satisfy it right now is through school, but I know now that even when I graduate, I will still be the same way. I will still go the extra mile. I will still question the world. I will still challenge myself because all of this is human nature. This idea has forever changed the way I see learning and school. This is the part of ourselves that stays with us long after our senior year.