Scholarship Essay Entry – Jaimie V.

The question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ is a lot more complex than it sounds. When I was growing up the answer changed, sometimes daily. When I was four I wanted to be a bird watcher. When I was eight I wanted to be an actress. When I was twelve I wanted to be a writer. When I was sixteen I wanted to be Prime Minister. However, when it came time to actually decide on a career path there was only one that really interested me and that path lead straight towards being an educator. My goal is to begin as a secondary school English Language Arts teacher and continue on into school and district and administration in the community where I have spent most of my life.

Deciding to pursue a career in education was easy for me because I believe that young people need to be encouraged to achieve their goals and chase their dreams in order to create strong communities.  I chose this program of study because of the influence of a high school teacher I had in grade 11. She took a personal interest in each of her students and got to know us all really well. She was able to tell when one of us was having a bad day and she always encouraged us in every way. This teacher helped me to do well academically, to mature as a person, and to understand that life is a series of doors waiting to be opened. She was able to create an atmosphere of caring and community in the classroom. I want to be able to do the same in my classroom, school and town.

I have been working towards this goal of creating strong communities by volunteering at drama camps, swim meets, sporting events, youth clubs, and community advancement events.  I have also encouraged other young people to get involved in the community because I believe that community involvement fosters a sense of belonging and worth. It encourages people to network, meet others and to try their best at whatever they do. This is important for young people because these are skills that will help them in their future careers, whatever they may be and getting students ready for future careers is a vital part of education.

Educating future generations of students to think for themselves, believe in themselves and contribute to the growth and advancement of their community will create successful individuals and strong communities. This is where my talent lies and this is what I will do with my life. Young people need to know that they have a place in the world and helping to create a caring and vitalized community is my way of showing them this.