Beyond the Classroom: How Ms. Risum Inspired My Journey in English by Brent

Beyond the Classroom: How Ms. Risum Inspired My Journey in English by Brent - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

When thinking about a teacher or mentor who has had a significant impact on my educational journey, many come to mind. There are mentors who are like father figures from Chris Anderson, Steve Almberg, Chris Davis, Tim Murray, Darren Tabor, to Matt Mullins all of whom have impacted my life in separate and unique ways in and out of school.

One individual however has made a special lasting impact on my educational path by simply being encouraging and pushing me to be my best self. This individual is my 8th grade English teacher Caroline Risum. Within her class I was pushed beyond what I normally put forth for English and went in depth with different reasoning and discussions.

For every year in school I was always in accelerated or honors math as math was a strong suite of mine. English on the other hand was something I never really cared for and viewed it as a class that was just a requirement. My English class with Ms. Risum changed that, she pushed me to dive deeper within my English work and discover complex meanings within books. Throughout the year we were put in groups to work through different forms of media and understand how they can relate to the present and our learning. Time and time again I was a leader in discussions within those groups and felt more of a connection to English than I ever felt before.

At the end of the semester, I was approached by Ms. Risum who asked me if I was planning to go into honors English my freshman year of high school to which I instantly replied “No!”. She was shocked by my answer and went on to tell me how great of a student I have been over the course of the year and that I had a gift to understand complex meanings that others struggled with. Hearing that someone believed in me and my ability to succeed as much as she did was extremely motivating. Coming from a teacher who was always kind, caring, and compassionate throughout the year meant even more. Strictly due to her conversation with me, I decided to give honors English a try.

Turns out she was right, I was good enough for honors, and I was going to succeed and grow within the higher-level classes. All I needed was a push in the right direction from someone who believed in me. Fast forward to present day and I took all honors or AP English courses throughout high school and performed extremely well in all of them! Thank you to Ms. Risum for pushing me to be my best self and grow within my English courses.