BOWDOIN
COLLEGE
application of Diana Vargas
Personal Statement – indicate a person
who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
The Person Who Changed My School Life and Future Plans
“Have a dream, make a plan, and go for it!” These were
the words that my Middle School SPED teacher, Ms. Carew, said on
graduation day. Ms. Carew was my friend, mentor, mother, supporter
and encourager all in one during my three years as her student.
She motivated and inspired me to achieve my goal which was to get
out of SPED classes. At home, there was no academic support for
me, for English was not my family’s first language. Thus,
without such support, the concept of leaving SPED was out of my
reach. I never thought that my school career could possibly exist
in regular classes. I gradually became discouraged to the point
where I believed I was slow because my classes were going so slow.
Little did I know that life after elementary school would get much
better. I was going to meet the individual who would change my destiny.
I remember my first day at the Martin Luther King Middle School
and meeting Ms. Carew. One was able to see her sincerity and humility
towards her students. She introduced me to the entire class, and
then asked a student to show me around. Her involvement and interest
in getting me acquainted with the school and students, made my first
day and beyond the most comfortable and unforgettable days of my
life. I was amazed to see Ms. Carew, an Irish woman in her mid-thirties,
helping me, a little Spanish girl that she barely knew. Even though
Ms. Carew maintained her friendly side after my first day of school,
she was really serious about the fact that academic work had to
continue. According to her, every student in our class had the right
to become educated and it was the students’ obligation to
work hard. Ms. Carew taught us to use our basic skills and stretch
them to our own advantage in order to comprehend and understand
how new lessons related to old lessons.
Unlike my elementary school teachers, Ms. Carew did not believe
that because one was in SPED, one was not capable of doing regular
work. This was the part I loved. She did not believe her class was
any different from those other regular classes. We spoke, wrote,
and worked like a regular class and we were lucky for we knew each
other very well. Ms. Carew gave me the confidence to excel in class.
I am lucky and grateful to have had Ms. Carew as a teacher. “You
can accomplish anything you set your mind to as long as you work
hard,” were the words that I heard from Ms. Carew when handing
out class work, assignments and homework. I sometimes wondered why
Ms. Carew cared so much for us. As a mother to a child, Ms. Carew
always defended her students, to others who thought we were dumb.
On graduation day, it hit me. The superwoman of my life, Ms. Carew,
was no longer going to be my teacher and confidant. As sad as this
made me, I graduated with the inspiration and enthusiasm to learn
more about life and its facts. Ms. Carew taught me to believe in
myself. Ms. Carew allowed me to see myself at my best and wanted
me to get out of SPED classes. It was when I started attending high
school that I knew my hard work in middle school had paid off. On
my first day of school, I noticed elementary school level work as
a Freshman SPED student. As time went by, the work was not getting
harder. Within me, I made the decision to be one of the top students
in class and prove to the school system, that yes indeed I was ready
for regular classes. I earned excellent grades, as well as teachers’
recommendations explaining that I was very smart and capable of
taking harder classes. It was an honor to have my new teachers realize
that I was bright and needed to be mainstreamed. All I needed was
one chance to prove to myself and others that I was qualified for
the hard classes ahead.
As a SPED student who received uncommonly high grades, I was placed
in regular classes the following year. I had to prove once again
that I was fit to take hard classes through my grades. With preparation,
dedication, and hard work, I was able to succeed in regular classes.
I always did my work, paid attention in class and related and applied
lessons to the way Ms. Carew taught me. I incredibly adjusted to
the students, teachers and class size very quickly. Today, I’m
in the most challenging classes my school offers, and I have fantastic
grades. I feel that Ms. Carew was an angel who came and supported
me to become the strong and determined young woman that I am today.
When I used to sit at my desk in Ms. Carew’s classroom, thinking
that all my hard work was not paying off, feeling like just giving
up, she always said, “Yes you can! Hard work pays off!”
and “You Can do it, You
will do it!” Ms. Carew helped that little Spanish girl that
she met years ago blossom into a flower which she watered with confidence,
determination, and hope for the future. As Ms. Carew often said,
and now from me to you, “The unexpected is possible”.
Just look at me!
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