What is My Favorite Subject in School and Why

I am often asked, "What is your favorite subject in school and why?" My answer has always been, "It's English." Reading and writing have been my lifelong passions. This essay explores how my love for English has shaped my academic journey and influenced my career aspirations.

I have always had a passion for reading. I was the child that co,uld not be found without a book pressed up against her nose. I was never the biggest, strongest, or the most athletically inclined student. With a book in hand I could become anyone I wanted to be, there were no limits to my abilities. To me, every day was a new adventure. As a small child, I could become a fearless pirate, a beautiful mermaid, or a terrifying giant barging through the clouds. (This was a favorite adventure of mine as I stand just less than five feet tall.) The authors of these titles felt like friends more than narrators.

Recess may have excited the other children in my classes, but I was more likely to find a shady spot and sit with a friend and read. The smell of a library excited me more than the scent of outdoors. I would never skip an opportunity to escape real life, even if it were just for a moment. I believe this appreciation of fictional literature drove me to my love of English.

My fascination with reading literature propelled me to a love of writing as well. I envied the artistry that I found in others’ writings. I wanted to be able to evoke the same emotions into individuals as other authors had done for me time after time. When assigned short stories to write, I manifested this idea into every work. I tried to impress others with my ability to dream up wild stories and transcribe them to paper. Seeing the interest of others in what I had to write fueled my appetite to create stories. Now if I was not reading, I was writing; I became infatuated with the use of words and grammar. Never was I satisfied with an ordinary word - I would search fervently through thesauruses to find the exact word I needed. It had to make my reader exhibit the emotion and mental picture I wanted them to have. The fair maiden of my tale would not just be beautiful. She would be “magnificent” or “radiate elegance from her every pore.” A knight would not be brave; he would be “valiant, and audacious!”

I have not gotten this far on passion alone. I have had so many great teachers along the way who have encouraged everything I do. These teachers have pushed me past the curriculum and encouraged me to read novels that may seem daunting. They challenge me to push myself past the level of expectations that I held for myself. I have learned that if it is not challenging me, then I am not getting any better. With this mind set, I have been able to excel in this subject. Watching an instructor’s eyes light up when discussing an author or literary subject has helped pave a path of success for me. It has helped me to become the student I am today. Seeing the passion in others reinforces my appreciation of the subject. These teachers were the ones who encouraged me to compete in UIL Spelling and Vocabulary.

At my school, I have had the honor of serving in a club that is an advocate for spreading literacy to children. Our school’s Interact Club partners with our local Rotary Club to participate in The Green Bus Project. We have converted a donated bus into a kid friendly mobile library. This bus contains shelves and shelves of books providing a positive atmosphere to children who may not have much access to literature, especially during the summer months. This brightly colored bus travels to low-income neighborhoods offering stories and sack lunches to children who otherwise might not receive food while not at school. I do not just enjoy helping the children, but it also gives me an opportunity to share with them what I love. I can offer advice on which books to read that I read when I was in elementary. I can select my favorite stories to read aloud to the group. Our hope is to spark a love of literature into younger generations. This has become my favorite of the service projects I do in school because I can connect to this on a personal level. Seeing the same excitement on a child’s face that I had also felt, made every Saturday I spent with them beyond worth it. Nothing compares to sharing your passion with young spirits.

A love of English is a journey. English is the core of our ability to communicate from individual to individual. This subject has taught me countless skills and has helped me to become an analytically minded person. This varies my perspective on issues, and allows me to form new opinions. English has been able to flourish my overall growth as a young person. It has showed me the many points of views, ideas, and beliefs of the everyday man. Studying more about Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, and Geoffrey Chaucer has given me an insight into human nature. The amount this subject has taught me is endless and it opens up gateways to all others subjects. With such great teachers as role models and amazing adventures at my disposal I doubt I will ever lose my passion for literature.