Personal Narrative Essay - Learning from Mother :: College Admissions Essays

Learning from Mother Education is not to teach men facts, theories or laws, not to reform or amuse them or make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellect, teach them to think straight, if possible, but to think nevertheless.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Maynard Hutchins At each point in my life, I had fabulous teachers that helped open my mind to the bigger world outside. But the person who taught me the most was my mother. As a voracious reader, she gave me the example I emulate to this day. Then, I couldn't understand how she could stand reading so much nonfiction; I preferred novels. Now I see that her reading provided the necessary tonic to life among the Orr tribe. She was also my English coach: Any time I had a paper to work on, I sketched out my draft and then she would show me how to make it coherent. All her efforts finally paid off when I received the writing award at school-she had finally taught her daughter to write! She also was on the school board at my grade school, was politically active, and was active in our church. Seeing her stand up to error in public situations gave me the strength to do the same. Sadly, I had to fight error in my high school history class. I disputed my religion teacher's position concerning the civil rights movement (just one of many discussions we had that year). But without Mom's example, I would have been silent like the other kids. I could speak up because she also took the time to teach an added course to me on Saturdays-not only did I go to class every weekday at school, but Mom held special sessions of history class every Saturday afternoon, replete with really hard memorization