Possibly the most important essay in my life!

Well, here's my 500 words (exactly! excluding the title. :)
I just finished it and will review it a few more times before I turn it in, but I usually don't change much after I finish. Hope they like it!

Air Force Scholarships Program 2008

“The Most Important Person in My Life”

The most important person in my life is not anyone that I know, yet. He is someone that will help me accomplish my most important goal in life, someone who will shape me as I grow into the person I want to become, and someone who will allow me to make a difference in the world I live in. The most important person in my life is my future student.

Once I become a teacher, I will have many students and they will be my passion and my purpose. I want to make a difference in my world, and my students will be the instruments for change. One of my professors shares this same vision- as she instructs class after class of eager students, she equips world-changers: students who will become teachers and make a difference in our community and in the lives of the students we will teach.

The first day that I am in my own classroom with my very first set of minds waiting to be molded I will have such an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. It will only be the beginning but I will have finally made it. I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher, to influence the lives of countless children. I will hold the responsibility of helping each and every child reach their full potential. I will have begun my calling and I couldn’t do it without them. Because of my students, I will be a teacher.

I believe that through teaching, one can learn a great deal about life. I cannot wait to learn what each of my students will teach me. Will they be lessons of kindness, friendship, or courage? What about innocence, leadership, or just pure intelligence? I know that each student will teach me in his or her own way and that we will continuously learn from each other. We will grow side by side as I intentionally shape their lives, and as my influence on them overflows right back to me.

As I teach my students, I hope to instill in them hope, passion, and a dream. I want to not only instruct them in academic subjects such as Mathematics, English, and Science, but to teach them important life lessons- to believe in themselves, to strive for their goals, and to make a difference in their world. When my students grow up and move on, my teaching will reflect in their lives as they influence the people they come into contact with and the world they live in. The difference that I make in the lives of my students will impact the whole world.

I cannot think of a more influential person in my life than my student. He will have the biggest impact on my life, and will be the most important part of me becoming who I am to be. I look forward to becoming a teacher, to learning as I teach, and to being part of a ripple effect of world changers.