Wolf Gustaveson Memorial Scholarship at Maine East

Blank faces turned to me for help. As I rushed across the pool, I caught a glimpse of the desperate eyes of my Ukrainian student. When I got there, my co-workers explained that they were unable to understand what he needed. I looked over and saw him shivering, looking up at me. I began trying to figure out what he needed. I began signaling many basic things such as “bathroom,” “water,” etc. I recognized the familiarity of this moment - I remember my struggle with language, and feeling like no one could understand me. After a minute or so, I figured out that he was hungry and was able to help him. Since that day, he now only comes up to me when he needs something. He knows that I will always figure out what he needs - no matter what. He knows I will never give up - and seeing that type of trust fulfills me in many ways and reminds me why I want to become a teacher. Such realizations began when I immersed myself in an education internship working with fifth graders last summer. My positive experience during those 10 weeks drove me to get a year-round job as an aftercare facilitator. In school, I encountered apathetic students and teachers who showed little interest in making students like me feel comfortable in the classroom. From grades K-3, I took bilingual classes, and was used to primarily speaking Spanish, but began taking full-English classes when I moved. I went from being a very outgoing student, who participated all the time and was very social in the classroom, to someone afraid of voicing their opinions or answering a simple math question. A sense of academic inability lingered since then, and I’ve experienced adversity whilst speaking, writing, and reading in both languages. Turning my biggest challenge into my biggest strength was a crucial turning point in my journey. I realized the importance of being bilingual through my internship - as it allows me to bridge cultural differences within my classroom, and become a role model for my students as a Spanish speaker, and a person of color, whom they can relate to. As an aspiring teacher, I hope to help many understand that language barriers should not be a barrier to caring for others, and most importantly - remind them that simple moments can, unknowingly, create a long-lasting impact on someone. I dream of creating a safe learning environment in which students feel comfortable bringing all that makes them who they are, where they don’t have to conceal parts of their identity when they enter the classroom.