The One Who Made a Difference by Ava

The One Who Made a Difference by Ava - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

I decided to take Psychology 1 and 2 in my sophomore year of high school. The first semester solidified my interest in moving forward to take Psychology 2. It was a class that I was interested in and good at. I knew it was for me. My psychology teacher's first semester was great. She was fun, and nice, the best. My second-semester teacher, on the other hand, was the opposite. I went from loving a class to hating it in a second. All because of the teacher. She was boring, strict, and not funny. I did not click with her or the class. I looked forward to her class ending every day. Finally, the school year ended, and I never saw her again. Junior year I signed up to take AP Psychology. The only teacher at my school who taught it was my second-semester Psychology 2 teacher that I hated. I walked into class on the first day of school worried because I didn’t want to be with a teacher that I didn’t like the whole year. As the year went I began to l to like her more and more. The class was challenging and I constantly needed to meet with her for review and to ask questions. She was quick to offer help to everyone and wouldn’t let anyone fall behind. As a student something that I look for when deciding what makes a teacher good or not is seeing if they genuinely care about us students. I had never had a teacher who showed interest in our lives and treated us like adults until I had her. She knew me and every single one of her students beyond a surface level of names. She would go to my classmate's basketball games, dance recitals, school plays, anything. She even went to my golf senior night this year. It is as clear as day to see that she truly does care for every student.

My goal for the year in AP psychology was to do well on the AP test. It was my first AP class and I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect and I would constantly wonder if the course was too hard and challenging for me. I studied every day for a month in advance until the day of the test. I did review sessions with her and some friends from the class. She showed us how to become better test takers and boosted our confidence. It felt like she believed in me. I can’t say that I have ever had a teacher that made me feel good about myself. She pushed me to be a better student and prepared me in the best way possible for life, and the AP test. Thanks to her, I earned a five on the test.

Fast forward to my first day of senior year. I no longer had her as a teacher. My teachers were good but not like her. I missed having her every day first period. I was walking to my fifth-hour class when all of a sudden I heard my name being called from behind me. I turned around and my favorite teacher was whooping her hands in the air congratulating me for earning a five on the AP test. She gave me the biggest hug and told me how proud she was and never doubted me for a second. That made me whole day and I’ll always remember how proud I felt after that moment. My AP Psychology teacher has been the most influential adult other than my parents, that I have ever encountered. She has inspired me to be a better person and a better student. Her confidence in me made me gain confidence in myself. She taught me how to work hard, believe in myself, and persevere when things are tough. I will always remember and be incredibly grateful for her.