“What is your dream job?” read the question in the book I got for my 17th birthday. In my family, you are given a book every birthday with a question written in the cover that everyone in the party has to write their answer in. It usually relates to the book somehow, but the questions can range from “what is your favorite dessert?” to “where would you build your dream house?”. That year the question in my book was “what is your dream job?”. Most of my family members wrote things like “NFL player” or “professional online shopper,” however one response stuck out to me in particular. When reading the responses I realized that my aunt had written “a teacher.” While everyone was choosing uncommon and crazy careers, my aunt had chosen the career that she had already had. This is one of the many moments my aunt gave me that helped influence my decision in becoming a teacher.
Some of my earliest memories with my aunt were going with her to decorate her classroom. My aunt put so much effort into her classroom that she would change the decorations every month, for every holiday. I remember going with her and using the big paper cutter to cut out name tags into shapes like pumpkins and shamrocks. We would look through her big collection of bulletin board decorations and she would let me pick which ones I think would look best. I always loved going with her to decorate her classroom, and looking back I realize how big of an impact that had on my decision to become a teacher. Her love for teaching was so big that it was hard not to let it rub off on me.
Another memory that I have of her interacting with her students was when we would have halloween at my grandma’s house. My aunt taught in the same small town that my grandma lived in, and I always remember trick-or-treaters coming up to the door asking to see my aunt. She would always go to the door and give them big hugs and extra candy. It was very special to me to see how much her kids loved her and how much love she had for them.
Although I have some very happy memories with my aunt I unfortunately had to endure some very sad ones. My aunt had battled cancer for almost the entire second half of her life. The first time she was diagnosed was before I was born, and by the time I was a baby she was already in remission. When I was younger I did not understand cancer, and all I remember was having a party celebrating how she was ten years cancer free when I was 11. It was not until 2019, when I was about to start my junior year of high school that her cancer had become a reality for me. Her cancer had come back, and much more aggressive this time. I watched her get weaker, until eventually she sadly passed away on February 3rd, 2020. This is one of the hardest things my family and I have ever gone through, and to this day it is still very hard for us.
On the day of her funeral I remember walking into my grandma’s house holding back tears. On the outside it seemed like any other day going to my grandma’s house. She requested that nobody wear black, and all my cousins were there too. As I walked inside I was greeted by family, and as we made our way into the dining room something caught my eye. As we walked closer I saw hundreds of brightly colored origami swans filled the room, stringed all above the ceiling and down the walls. It was very beautiful, and after reading a sign closer I learned that the swans were made by all her past students. I stood there looking at the swans in awe. This experience was very emotional for me and it really put into perspective how much of an impact she had on her students.
My aunt taught in her classroom until the day her doctors told her that she could not anymore. She taught even when she was going through chemo and losing hair. She was so upset when she had to leave teaching, and it was sad for our family to watch her leave something she loved. She taught me so many things outside of teaching, and she had a big influence on many aspects of my identity. Watching her love for her students and her students’ love for her really showcased to me the rewarding aspects of becoming a teacher. Without her, I do not know if I would have known right away that I wanted to become a teacher. I am so thankful that she was able to help me find this part of my identity, and I hope to become even half as good of a teacher
as she was one day.
