Changes in Life: Teacher as a Driving Force

People in my life tell me that a successful life comes from many different things. My mother tells me that success comes from having children, and from creating a new life with my body. My father tells me it comes from earning money, from making enough money to live comfortably. My uncle tells me it comes from intelligence, from knowing all the answers all the time without any doubt. My sister tells me it comes from love, from loving others and being loved in return. With every different definition coming at me, it is difficult to know what I think success could be defined by, to know which notion of success is the truth. I did not know what true, real, lasting success could be until I walked into my junior year history class, History of the Americas.

Life Transformations: Teachers as Catalysts

My life was thoroughly changed by the history teacher I had my junior year, Mr. Scott Myers at Cherokee Trail High School. His love for history and genuine excitement about what we were going to learn awoke something hidden and unknown inside of me, a passion brewing that I had yet to discover. I loved history, learning about the past: the secrets, the scandals, the mistakes, and the victories. Every single part of it. I knew then that the life I had been planning for myself since kindergarten had disappeared; that life could no longer be what I wanted for my future. Aerospace engineering, a career I had convinced myself I wanted, a career others had convinced me I wanted, lost its appeal. I, the one person in my friend group who had always had a plan, was without one for the first time. I panicked, not knowing where I would go to school anymore, no longer knowing what career I wanted, only knowing that pursuing history would make me happy and pursuing aerospace engineering would not.

My friends helped me through this, giving me suggestions, and helping me reorder my life. They changed my life, my friends, and Mr. Myers, leading me on a path that would make me genuinely happy, a path where I could love my job. That is a success, helping someone find happiness, even in unexpected places and ways. Success is measured in the lives we change. What we own is nothing in comparison to the lives we have changed and changed for the better. I want to look back and know that I have helped people, that I have changed their lives, knowing that I would not be where I am if I had not had people helping me and changing my life.

The Importance of Relationships

Without these relationships we form with each other, we would never be pushed to grow to be better than we are; we would stagnate and nothing new would be invented or discovered, or written. To be successful, we need to push each other and work together to grow and create a better world for the generations that will follow, a world they would be proud to inherit. As philosopher John Dewey (1938) noted, "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." This statement underscores the importance of learning from one another and the transformative power of relationships. These connections and experiences are what truly shape us, allowing us to evolve into better versions of ourselves.

Conclusion

Ultimately, success is not a solitary journey but a collective endeavor. It is about the impact we have on others and the shared experiences that enrich our lives. When we measure success by the positive changes we inspire in others, we create a legacy that extends far beyond material possessions. This approach to success is not only fulfilling but also enduring, leaving an indelible mark on the world and the people we touch.

References

• Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Macmillan.