My Greatest Mentor by Sarah

My Greatest Mentor by Sarah - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

My father is the mentor who has had the most significant impact on my educational journey. When I was three or four years old, my dad would sit down with me and teach me to read. We started with books that were repetitive and written similarly. Then as I improved, we shifted to more difficult books. We also started using flashcards with words like “refrigerator” and “table” that my dad had created, but after practicing those for a few weeks, they became easy, too. By the time I was attending kindergarten, I could read first and second-grade level books independently. Our school would have students tested on what they read through “Accelerated Reader”, an online program. Usually, students would start this program in first grade, as in kindergarten, students were just learning to read. However, my parents requested that I read higher level books and be tested on them to see where my reading comprehension was in kindergarten, which I successfully did, acing every test I took. Because of my father's help early on in my educational journey, I have always tested above average on standardized English tests. Right before first grade started, my school offered to have me jump to second grade because my reading levels were so high. However, my parents thought it would be better for me to stay with students my age.
My father didn't just help me with reading, though. He also helped me with math. He taught me how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide between kindergarten and second grade. He would write problems on a whiteboard, and I would have to solve them. Once I thought I had the right answer, he would check them, and if I got one wrong, we would work through it together. Then, he would give me a similar problem. Once I had a topic mastered, he would start a new topic, whether adding two numbers together or starting subtraction. I knew how to multiply and divide before second grade, but at my school, these topics weren't taught until third grade. These lessons put me far ahead of my peers, which led to my teachers giving me harder problems and homework so I would still be challenged. Just like reading and writing, my math test scores were phenomenal.
This isn't to say these lessons were always easy and enjoyable. There were plenty of days when I didn't want to read or go through flashcards. One of my fondest memories from these lessons was in first grade. My father had written a multiplication problem on the board. Despite my efforts, I couldn't get the right answer, even after attempting multiple times. I asked my father for help, but he said I had to get this on my own. He believed I could do it, but that didn't help me find the correct answer. After yelling, arguing, and crying, I took another look and started again. This time was different as I realized I knew what I was doing. I nervously handed the whiteboard to my dad after I had finished, and once he checked it, he announced that I had gotten it right.
My dad didn't stop helping me once I attended school. He helped me study for spelling and vocab tests, quizzed me in preparation for many spelling bees (which we drove in a blizzard once to attend), and even helped me with my middle and high school Algebra homework. My father, however, didn’t help me with grammar, which was good because looking at the grocery list now, I'm surprised he taught me to spell the words he did.
My father has been there for me throughout my educational journey. As I move on to college, I'm worried about being unable to ask for help from the comfort of my bedroom. I might have to FaceTime him when I get stuck on a difficult math problem or need help studying vocabulary. One thing for sure is that my dad had and still has a huge impact on my educational journey. I owe it all to him, and my teachers, for getting me to where I am today. I couldn't be more grateful. Thanks, Dad!