The English Channel The English Channel Volume 17 Issue 2 Spring 2017 | Page 23

The Journey...
Sometimes I think that because I'm 22
and not moved out yet, with little money
saved and no prospective ring on my fin-
ger that I'm getting behind the eight-ball,
not doing what I'm supposed to be doing,
not at the spot where I should be in life.
But honestly? I have kicked ass at college,
as of right now I hold a 3.86
GPA with over 100 credit hours
completed. I have proven to my
professors, who are nothing
short of my heroes, that I am a
scholar worthy of their time
and they are proud of me. I
have followed the path that I
promised my favorite teachers
in high school I would- to be-
come one of them one day. I
have made friends that I hon-
estly don't know how I ever
lived without. The validation they bring
to my life, the laughs, the support- they
are my greatest memory the past four
years. My family has witnessed my jour-
ney and though I've grown quite inde-
pendent, they are still my biggest fans.
Most importantly, I have learned so damn
much about the world, about myself, and
honestly, about some really cool random
things, for example: Japanese culture my
first year, Jewish literature my second, the
history of the Middle Ages my third, the
politics of education my fourth, and how
to be a great teacher next year. What
more could a soon-to-be college graduate
ask for?
I'm not going to be throwing my cap into
the air yet, but thank you to Oakland Uni-
versity for giving me the opportunity to
experience what have become, and proba-
bly always will be, the best years of my
life.
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cation on the secondary and higher levels.
I want to retire a tenured professor know-
ing I reached students in both their high
school and college careers and did my
part in shaping their academic journey. I
want inspire future teachers to approach
the profession with the level of serious-
ness and dedication that it deserves. I
want to be a force to be reckoned with in
the education community. I want to be
my future students' favorite teacher,
someone who shows them what it means
to be educated, why it's important, and
how to apply skills and content to better
their lives. I want to teach students' to
love learning.