Teachers, Educators and Mentors

Graphic by Evelyn Crothall

What if I never met my middle school English teacher, Mr. Bean, whose kindness and pumpkin spice obsession inspired my love for reading? What if I never met my fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Hirano, who taught me beyond academics, who taught me to hold open the door and be polite to all those I meet? Even in college, I’ve met amazing professors and mentors without whom I wouldn’t be who I am today.

If you’ve ever seen “Dead Poets Society,” which is one of my favorite movies from my misspent youth, you’ll remember that quiet scene where Mr. Keating reveals to his students why they study poetry. School is not just to achieve a specific career but to understand what life’s worth living for and what it’s all about.

So the question that has plagued three generations is: why do we go to school, especially university? Practically, to receive the certifications and skills necessary to pursue a particular career— something much needed in our modern, fast-paced world. Conversely, a far more romantic, yet possibly outdated idea is to enrich a person so that they might come into their own and live a fuller life. 

Learning has always been a privilege, especially when higher education was limited to a privileged few for centuries. The sons–and occasionally daughters–of the wealthy and powerful walked the hallowed halls of Harvard or Oxford and studied the classics, literature, history and philosophy. But, in this day and age, when education has become more accessible, we know the economic and personal need for highly skilled workers on the job market. For so many, a degree is the gateway towards economic mobility, and yet between all of this, we’ve forgotten what it means to form a human being’s content of character.

This alone is more vital than ever. We live in an ever-changing world, one full of change, turbulence and hope for the future. In such a world, we need women and men who can make the world a better place. Education is so much more than rote memorization, grades or even becoming a marketable employee; it is about raising a child or young person—or even an older person—and allowing them to come into a fuller personhood. 

It sounds so impractical, but that is how a place of learning could genuinely be transformational. It would be incomplete if a parent would only give a child food and shelter but was cold and never hugged their child or spoke kindly to them.

Similarly, teachers, professors and mentors are in the unique position to touch the lives of young people in a way that changes them. Sometimes, when the student is under eighteen they are even “in loco parentis”, in the place of the parent. They change our lives, for better or worse.

Now, I wasn’t always the best student. I tried so hard, but the farther I got the more I fell behind. Mostly because whatever sort of plant swaying outside the window would quickly become far more fascinating than calculus. I wasn’t just bored, I was restless. I felt terribly embarrassed that by the end of high school, I just couldn’t keep up. 

Upon entering college, staring blankly in confusion with the vague trombone sounds of a lecture washing over became my daily ritual. But then, I had some amazing professors, classes and classmates—without whom I never would have been engaged in the actual subject. 

My grades started going up, and God help those poor lecturers when I was actually interested in the class: I’d chat and chat until the cows came home. I’m grateful that they put up with me, and there have been so many who showed me this kindness and generosity. And eventually, after my first year, after meeting wonderful friends and participating in fulfilling extracurriculars, I found my way.

At the heart of what a teacher does and is has to be generosity: I’ve seen teachers who would bring lunch for hungry students, buy supplies for kids who can’t buy their own, console a crying student and help kids who feel like they don’t fit belong. When a teacher loves their subject, their passion and joy become infectious. They give up their time, wealth, hearts and health for someone else’s child and why? Because teachers who care make a difference.

One thing that I will forever be grateful for during my first two and a half years at Santa Clara was that I got to explore, learn and grow. I’ve never been challenged more, but I’ve also never changed more. For the better, I hope. 

Education and educators are so much more than just teachers: they are people who can change your life.