Personal Statement

Do you remember the Dead Poets Society? Robin Williams was an excellent English professor in that movie. I knew from the moment I saw him that I wanted to be that kind of professor. I know that you’re thinking not all professors are like that or can be like that. Well, I had a high school professor just like that. Mrs. Maulsby was not only inspiring, she was pushy and difficult. She knew what potential you had and she pushed your towards it. She also knew when students were not giving it their all and called them out for it. She encouraged me when I didn’t want it and called me out when I thought I didn’t need it. I am the student I am because of her. And now, I want to a Mrs. Maulsby for a student. I can remember the first time I tutored English to high school students in my sophomore year of college. They were the lower income students. They didn’t want to be there and certainly made that fact obvious. Their teacher was not only aware of their disdain at being present for his class; he used that fact to threaten their grades and competency levels. I was scared to tutor them. This teacher made them sound impossible. As if they had no desire whatsoever to even be present in class and that it would be near impossible to tutor them appropriately. However, I found that once I was able to get on a personal level with some of the individuals, all they needed was positive encouragement, patience, and a smile. Teaching is more than just going over material and explaining it to students. I want to be able to inspire students to want to learn and further their desire for knowledge. I want to instill in them the creativity that the people in their lives tell them doesn’t exist. I want to be that encouraging smile they can depend on for help and guidance when school gets difficult. To adequately be there for the students that need that teacher, I need to further my own education and leadership skills to lead correctly. To make a difference you have to be the difference. I believe that the values of this graduate program instill in graduate students a desire to be influential with their future-students; that is why I want to be a part of this graduate program.