She believed she could, so she did it - all. by Katelyn

She believed she could, so she did it - all. by Katelyn - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

Mrs. Michelle Plunk was my yearbook teacher during my last year of high school. She had a significant impact on my decision to continue education at the college level. She helped guide me along every step of the way and treated me as an adult, allowing me to make my own decisions free of pressure. While navigating a split year as a junior and senior to graduate early, I also worked part-time and held the role of color guard captain. Even wearing many hats and juggling lots of tasks, I was investing time and thought into my next step of higher education and trying to decide what I wanted to do as a career. Add to that, the task of figuring how to pay for it all. Anytime I had a question regarding the journey, whether it be an application, finances, or researching the college with the best program for me, Mrs. Plunk was there to explain it thoroughly and even help make a few phone calls when needed.

She taught me about debt-to-income ratio and gave me resources, such as a budgeting guide to help me avoid taking out unnecessary loans. Aside from counseling me on financial decisions and yearbook editing, she became someone I could trust to guide me through other situations. It could range from boy troubles or family squabbles to how I should dress for an interview. Mrs. Plunk has always been there no matter how many problems I brought to her or how many times I completely ignored her guidance. She became a confidant and still is today. I could call her today and she would help me navigate the reason for the outreach. Mrs. Plunk wasn’t just my person; she was also that person for other students who needed a safe person to help them navigate life decisions and struggles. I witnessed her love and compassion many times to many others. While being such a shining star to others, Mrs. Plunk was also obtaining her master’s degree in teaching.
Now that time has passed, I still find myself wondering how she gave so much of herself to her students and colleagues while still keeping herself on track to accomplish her personal goals.

She was simply called to be one of the most important people in the world - a teacher. Calculating the number of lives she has impacted, and still impacts today, is simply impossible. Mrs. Plunk is one of the amazing humans that helped shape me into who I am today - and who I still strive to be.