Impactful Person

She sat outside of her room helping the children who oh-so desperately needed it. Her face depicted a teacher who truly loved her job. The attitude of this teacher seemed to light up the entire hallway. This women’s smile could catch even the most distracted person’s attention. Her mannerisms projected professionalism and kindness. This was my 5th grade English teacher, Mrs. Clemons. Before long, this teacher would affect my life unlike anyone ever before.

Meet the Teacher Night had been the same old thing: meet a teacher, get a supplies list, make small talk, leave, and repeat. The last teacher on my schedule was Mrs. Clemons for regular English. I walked up to her and explained that she was to be my homeroom teacher. There was only one problem; I was supposed to be in Pre-AP classes. Mrs. Clemons knew. Even after I said that normal classes would not bother me, she felt that school was not meant to be boring but more challenging. Pre-AP classes would be the only thing that would be challenging. With that, we filled out the paperwork and I was told that that my schedule would be fixed come the first day of school.

On the first day of school, I grabbed my new schedule. I quickly perused the contents. Well, every class was Pre-AP like they were supposed to be. Did I have the teacher that I had just met, but felt like I had known my whole life? The last class on my schedule read “Pre-AP English Mrs. Clemons.” I had gotten her as an actual teacher and not homeroom. That day went very well and I enjoyed English.

Later in the year, Mrs. Clemons assigned us workbook pages to do. She had decided that the class should volunteer to read the sentences we came up with. I raised my hand and read, “The bees pollinate the flowers.” She was stunned. All of my classmates’ sentences had been so simple-minded, but my sentence had actually gotten this teacher’s attention. What came out of Mrs. Clemons’ mouth next truly shocked me. I was deemed president material. I, a guy who days earlier didn’t want advanced classes, could be president? This woman had such a tremendous faith in me.

Today, I am still in AP classes and have taken up UIL academics. This would not have happened without her encouragement. Everything thing that I have done academically, Mrs. Clemons was the inspiration. She inspired me to challenge myself. She inspired me to stay focused. Most importantly, she inspired me to strive for excellence. Mrs. Clemons had done her job as a teacher and prepared students for life ahead. This is why I believe – the day that I decided to fix my schedule, the moment I met this person, and the time that she inspired me to expect more – Mrs. Clemons, a 5th grade English teacher, impacted who I am today and who I will be in the very near future.