Beyond the Walls of The Classroom by Delia

Beyond the Walls of The Classroom by Delia - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

Throughout the 12 years of my high school career, I have experienced a wide variety of teachers, but only one has stuck out as being incredibly impactful in my life: her name is Lori Slifka. I first met her in my 6th grade science class on the first day of middle school. She was definitely the most intimidating teacher I had–especially since it was my first year of middle school. Although she was stern and meant business, she had a way of keeping all her students engaged at all times, which if you ask me, that is a very difficult thing to do.
If you were to ask anyone from my grade who they have learned the most from in middle/high school, I am confident that they would say Mrs. Slifka. She not only made middle school science interesting, relevant, and something I was excited to learn about every day, but she connected with each student individually on an emotional level. Middle and high school are the most anxiety and hormone-filled years of our lives, but Mrs. Slifka welcomed all our complications into her classroom with open arms and made it feel like home.
When she eventually stepped down from her position as a teacher she didn’t cut all ties like most teachers would with their students, but she made our connection stronger. Every two years she connects with Education First Tours where students can travel abroad. She chaperones each trip and takes her former students to a multitude of countries. I have been on two of these trips with her, and it has shown just how great of a person she is. Many people don’t think about the fact that their teachers and the people around them have separate and complicated lives of their own. When traveling with a large group of people such as on the EF tours, you have nothing to do but talk to the people around you while on a plane, bus, or other mode of transportation, so I learned all about her life and how she has come to love science and teaching others.
I got to build a fun and genuine connection with Mrs. Slifka during that time. She hasn’t only taught me that the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, but she has also taught me how to navigate the world. Currently, I plan to attend Colorado State University where I will study agriculture and plant sciences. Thanks to Mrs. Slifka, I have grown my passion for science and have goals of using my skills throughout my career.