Passion Beyond the Subject by Jailyn

Passion Beyond the Subject by Jailyn - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

It was the beginning of August, and that meant one thing: high school schedules would be released. It was the summer before my junior year of high school, and I was so excited to see if I would have classes with any of my friends from the year before. I log into my student account and check my schedule. As the schedule pops onto my computer screen, my jaw drops and I scoff in disgust. I have just realized that I have math first period, not just any math however, but AP Calculus. I thought to myself that I could never learn math this advanced at 7:30 in the morning every single day. My first solution was to change my schedule, but I realized that I had so many of my friends in my other classes that I could never let something so good be let go. So, I decided that I will somehow have to survive the infamous junior year with AP Calculus Period 1.

The first day of junior year arrives, and I am greeted by a short, blond haired lady wearing a jean jacket and a sundress. Her name was Mrs. Brilla, a very well-known teacher in my school and the head of the math department. Everything seemed normal enough: she went over her syllabus, what we would be learning about in the course of the year, and what we should expect. She was extremely kind, and I expected this class to be just like any other at 7:30 in the morning everyday. However, I was wrong in the best way possible.

Because of my last name, my seat was positioned in the front of the classroom, so I was able to talk to her more than the other students in my class. The first couple of weeks were pretty normal, and it didn’t seem too bad so far. A couple days after that one, Mrs. Brilla had cracked a sarcastic joke in my direction. I am a sucker for sarcastic jokes as that is most of my humor. With her joke, I cracked one back about how I hated math. Mrs. Brilla was the total opposite of me: she loved math, especially calculus, with all her heart. She had even named her graphing calculator Molly. From that day, our humorous and witty banter against each other began.

Almost everyday, Mrs. Brilla and I would crack jokes back at each other, and it would be the highlight of my day. I never cared that it was so early in the morning. I had fun in a class where I didn’t think that was possible. Everyone who took Mrs. Brilla’s calculus class knew about our “beef”, and it was their source of entertainment when it came to her class. Month after month would pass by, and I enjoyed coming to see her more and more. I would wake up for school and think, “I can’t wait to see Mrs. Brilla today!” Junior Year is a rough year for everyone, but she was able to make it a little better for me.

Besides Mrs. Brilla’s and I’s banter, she was the best teacher I have ever had. As someone who struggled in math almost every year of my life, that was the first year I was confident in my skills. Looking back, I believe that I had always been good at math, but I never had the right teacher to bring that out. She was that teacher. Mrs. Brilla was passionate about not just math, but also her helping her students. There are many teachers in this day and age who lack that passion, but she is not one of them. I never thought that I would be able to excel in calculus let alone learn it. She is truly special, and I believe that there are very few like her out there.

Later in my junior year, Mrs. Brilla had told me that I would be a great math teacher. That thought never crossed my mind, but after she said that, she made me ponder it for a while. Maybe she saw a little of herself in me, or maybe she saw that same sliver of passion that she had in herself. Although I am pursuing a degree in Biology on the pre-med track, I will never forget what she said to me. Hopefully, I can become a professor and have the same impact on my students as she did on me and countless others.

Again, Mrs. Brilla was the best teacher I ever had. If there was one teacher I could have every single year, it would be her without a doubt. She is one of those teachers that you could never forget no matter how hard you tried. Mrs. Brilla is a fantastically intelligent woman who outshines everyone who has ever taught me. I have had many great teachers, but there is no one like Mrs. Brilla.