I do not like poetry. Well, at least I didn't when I was in seventh grade. It seemed useless and hard and not worth the time. And the worst part was that starting in seventh grade, each student was required to memorize a poem, spend weeks listening to his classmates practice them, and then hear all of the best recitations performed at the poetry festival. Then, one day, we walked into our literature class to see the lights dimmed, an air of anticipation in the room. My teacher, Miss Munson, told us that we were going to receive a gift that day. Our curiosity was piqued. After a meaningful introduction, we each received a poetry anthology neatly tied up with ribbon. Maybe, I thought, I should reconsider poetry if my teacher says that it is such a gift... A few weeks later, I was standing in front of the whole school at the poetry festival, having won my class recitation competition. I chose to memorize "The Retreat" by Henry Vaughan. And strangely enough, I loved it. Something must have clicked in that moment I untied the ribbon, because not only did I love that poem, but now I am an English major who spends all day reading poetry. Whenever someone asks me why I want to be a teacher, I think of that moment when Miss Munson handed me the poetry book. I did not know it then, but her passion for poetry changed my life. Suddenly, it mattered to me because I saw how much it mattered to her. Poetry is important, not because some academic says it is, but because my teacher showed me that it is. Who we are matters, and people have been trying to figure that out since the dawn of time. And how amazing is it that some of those people wrote poems about it? Language is a beautiful thing, but how much more so when arranged in beautiful ways? But the reason I want to teach is not really about poetry. It is about the teacher who loved it enough and loved me enough to open up that new world. When I saw how passionate she was about something, I could not help but pay attention. Miss Munson impacted me in so many more ways than just teaching me about poetry. She showed me kindness and gentleness and genuine love for us and for what she taught. And those are things I will never forget. So why am I passionate about English and history and education? Because Miss Munson was, and her passion lit me up inside. I want to be the kind of person whose love and excitement can change students' lives because of the way she changed mine. I have seen that education can be so much more than passing grades, but that it can shape what we love. And all I want is to be a part of that.

I do not like poetry. Well, at least I didn't when I was in seventh grade. It seemed useless and hard and not worth the time. And the worst part was that starting in seventh grade, each student was required to memorize a poem, spend weeks listening to his classmates practice them, and then hear all of the best recitations performed at the poetry festival. Then, one day, we walked into our literature class to see the lights dimmed, an air of anticipation in the room. My teacher, Miss Munson, told us that we were going to receive a gift that day. Our curiosity was piqued. After a meaningful introduction, we each received a poetry anthology neatly tied up with ribbon. Maybe, I thought, I should reconsider poetry if my teacher says that it is such a gift... A few weeks later, I was standing in front of the whole school at the poetry festival, having won my class recitation competition. I chose to memorize "The Retreat" by Henry Vaughan. And strangely enough, I loved it. Something must have clicked in that moment I untied the ribbon, because not only did I love that poem, but now I am an English major who spends all day reading poetry. Whenever someone asks me why I want to be a teacher, I think of that moment when Miss Munson handed me the poetry book. I did not know it then, but her passion for poetry changed my life. Suddenly, it mattered to me because I saw how much it mattered to her. Poetry is important, not because some academic says it is, but because my teacher showed me that it is. Who we are matters, and people have been trying to figure that out since the dawn of time. And how amazing is it that some of those people wrote poems about it? Language is a beautiful thing, but how much more so when arranged in beautiful ways? But the reason I want to teach is not really about poetry. It is about the teacher who loved it enough and loved me enough to open up that new world. When I saw how passionate she was about something, I could not help but pay attention. Miss Munson impacted me in so many more ways than just teaching me about poetry. She showed me kindness and gentleness and genuine love for us and for what she taught. And those are things I will never forget. So why am I passionate about English and history and education? Because Miss Munson was, and her passion lit me up inside. I want to be the kind of person whose love and excitement can change students' lives because of the way she changed mine. I have seen that education can be so much more than passing grades, but that it can shape what we love. And all I want is to be a part of that.