I believe that as a teacher, I have a unique opportunity to impact the youth of our nation. In the grand scheme of things, it seems that teaching only 140 students per year is not much, but I believe that each student can make a difference in his community. While I may only personally reach 3 or 4 students per year, those 3 or 4 students can go on to make a tremendous impact that they never would have made without me. Even if only one student made something of himself because of my instruction or my influence on his life, it makes my teaching worthwhile.

I would love to have the same impact on a student’s life that my high school history teacher had on mine. Mrs. Sterling was my eleventh grade U.S. History teacher. She taught me how to form and express my own opinion in a respectful way. It was my respect and admiration for her that inspired me to become a history teacher. Mrs. Sterling always impressed me, not only with her knowledge of history, but the way that she taught it. She always made it interesting and was successful in showing us how it would behoove each of us to learn it. She made it relevant and showed our class how the leaders of our nation can look back at similar events in history to determine a proper way to handle different situations. I want to be like Mrs. Sterling and I believe that I can and that I will.

Not many people have the opportunity that I have. I can influence young people in a way that can inspire them to become something they normally would only have dreamed of. My history teacher showed me what an impact one person can have on a student’s life and I can not wait to do the same.