Wolf Gustaveson Memorial Scholarship at Maine East

Walking into my freshman year at Maine East, I felt like I was watching everyone else move through the hallways with a sense of direction I hadn't found yet. I wanted to be part of things, whether it be sports, clubs, or the various cliques filling the halls, but something kept me on the edge of it all. Fear, mostly. The fear of being too new, too young, and too unsure of myself to talk to anyone outside the people I already knew from middle school. That changed when baseball open gyms started. The first day I climbed those stairs to the balcony batting cages, I was terrified– certain I would feel out of place among the older, more experienced players. But looking back, I can't help but think about how wrong I was. I was treated as if I had played with the team for years, and being immediately welcomed by the “cool upperclassmen” gave me confidence and perspective I hadn't had before. Honestly, it feels wrong to write this scholarship without mentioning Wolf as one of those upperclassmen that not only made me feel included, but that showed me how to be passionate and confident about the path in life you were on. Outside of baseball, he'd talk constantly about engines, cars, and his future, and it wasn't just that he knew what he wanted to do after high school, it was how excited he got and the way his eyes lit up when he talked about it. It was a passion that made me want to find something I could feel that way about too. Turns out, I didn't have to look far. That spring and into my sophomore year, I chased as many opportunities as I could. I joined engineering and business clubs, got involved in charity and environmental groups, and developed a genuine passion for helping others. Wolf's enthusiasm for automotive technology never left me either– my sophomore year, I built a fully functioning go-kart from scratch as part of a passion project. Having never worked hands-on with engines before, it was an eye-opening experience that brought my interests into focus, and one that has pointed me toward studying Systems Engineering with a specialty in automotive engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Now, as a senior, I hold leadership positions in several clubs and run MTEC, an environmental clean-up group within the Maine Township. None of that happens without someone first making me feel like I was worth including. Now, as a senior, I try to be that mentor and friend I was once given. That lesson, that being seen and welcomed can change a person's entire trajectory, is one I carry with me every day. Whether it's inviting a new teammate to food after practice or bringing a younger student into a club I'm part of, I've learned that a single moment of inclusion can open doors someone didn't even know existed. I make it a point to be someone anyone could feel comfortable talking to, who asks what they're interested in, and who shows up. Purpose and passion aren't always found alone, and I hope to spend my life helping others find theirs while continuing to develop my own.

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.