Dear Third Grade Me by Sophia

Dear Third Grade Me by Sophia - July 2019 Scholarship Essay

When I think about a passion for education, it reminds me of a time not too long ago: third grade, elementary school. I remember hopping off the bus steps, running into my classroom, and fidgeting in my seat as I impatiently waited for my teacher to begin that day’s lesson. Having a teacher that instills that desire to learn is so important, especially in a day and age where we have unlimited information at our fingertips. For me this was my third grade teacher. Thanks to her, I couldn’t wait to learn about the science behind a baking soda volcano, what happened next in the class chapter book we were reading, or about the different languages people spoke around the world.

This passion to learn has stuck with me through most of my education, but like most students, I hit a mental wall during high school. Cramming for exams and stressing over several assignments due on the same day made me forget what I had loved so much about school—getting to learn about the vast world around me. Now that I am on my way to college, that spark has been rekindled, and I am so excited to sit back down to listen to professors who genuinely enjoy the subject they teach. Having a passion for education is something that I feel everyone possesses, whether they know it or not. It can be unlocked by a special teacher, an adult in your life, a friend who is equally as passionate about a subject, or something else.

Wanting to educate yourself doesn’t necessarily mean enrolling in the most difficult classes offered, in my opinion. I believe it could be something as simple as wanting to learn how the plants in your garden grow or the inspiration an author had for a novel you just read. To me, passion for education means a desire to learn about the world around you, to continue learning even if you have already graduated from high school, college, even medical school. I hope that four years from now, I leave school with the same love for learning and value for my education that little third grade Sophie had, all those years ago.