During my time in high school I have had many opportunities to be involved with helping other students succeed academically.  These opportunities helped me grow as a person and look at people in general in a different light.  I have always been willing to help people in need, so when I was first approached to do so, I did not hesitate.  What I didn’t know, was that the people I helped would impact me as well.
 

I started off by simply helping other students study for exams.  We would sit and pour over pages and pages of notes and whenever questions were asked I always answered to the best of my abilities.  There were days where I could see the frustration in their eyes; whatever will they had to keep going would slowly seep out of them as I read the next practice question.  I didn’t have a cure for the weariness, I could only continue to do what I said I’d do.  It never failed to make me happy when, despite their perceived apathy, the students I helped pushed on and stuck it out with me.  Come test day when we would see the fruits of our labour I would always feel a sense of joy at seeing the other student smiling and happy about their hard earned accomplishment.  For all of the students I could help, there were also ones who needed, but did not want the help I could give them.  This was something that hurt me more than I thought it would.  I wanted so badly for them to want to do well for themselves because I knew what it could do for them.  Many students don’t realize that what they do while in high school could determine the direction that their lives would take.  My experience with those students taught me something I thought I already knew: no matter how hard you want something for someone, they have to want it for themselves and be willing to go and get it.
 

Despite the drawbacks, being able to help someone in this capacity filled me with a sense of purpose that has influenced all aspects of my life.  I noticed that when I helped the people I had classes with, they weren’t the only ones who benefited.  I never realized that teachers got so much out of their profession.  When teaching, teachers learn just as much as the students.  My own experience has shown me that being a teacher ensures that you must know the material very well because another person is depending on you to help them learn.  An incompetent teacher makes way for an even more incompetent student.  In essence it becomes a case of the blind leading the dumb.  Despite the fact that I was not an actual teacher, I knew that the students I helped depended on me nonetheless.  I could not afford to only halfway grasp concepts and somewhat understand certain topics.  This knowledge drove me to study that much more and to be able to not only internalize topics, but explain them in a way that was clear, accurate, and concise. 
  

Whenever I sat down with a student - and even now - I always made sure that they knew that I would do my best to help them succeed with what they had put in front of them.  No matter what their state of mind was when we started, I wanted them to leave me with the feeling “I can do this”.  This is what I believe is the first step to true learning.  When a person believes that they can do something they are more likely to succeed.  The confidence to pursue a goal is a prerequisite to any journey.  That confidence is very essential to the learning process.  The intellectual capabilities of a person are amplified by work ethic and diligence.  No amount of natural ability can trump hard work and dedication.  This means that learning is accessible to every single person, no matter their walk of life or perceived abilities.  I believe that with the right amount of support and the right attitude, anyone can succeed.  This has always been a belief of mine and through teaching it has only been reinforced.  I have never, and will never write someone off because of what I, someone else, or even that person think they can accomplish.  Accomplishment is directly proportional to the amount of work put in, and if someone is willing to put in this work and strive for excellence there is absolutely nothing that can stop them.  People’s  worths are not determined by who or what they are, but what they choose to do.  The choice to succeed both academically and otherwise is entirely up to the person.  There is no limit to what they can achieve.