Compassion

A compassionate teacher is the reason I'm pursuing a teaching degree at Luther College. My choir director invested in me, and it truly made a difference in my life. I truly believe that I would not be at this college if it was not for the impact she made on me during my time in high school.

I was a sophomore in high school when my grandmother was diagnosed with colon cancer. She was a strong lady, but the chemotherapy was so intense it almost was worse than the cancer itself.

During this whole ordeal my choir director was the one teacher that actual took some interest into how I was doing. She first would tell me that her door was always open if I needed somewhere to come too. Even though I was not comfortable taking advantage of that opportunity, probably because of my age, it was a calming feeling knowing that someone outside my family cared.

When my grandmother finally passed away was when my choir director really showed true compassion. She was still telling me that I could come to her at anytime, but I never stopped in. She ended up basically forcing me to come in and talk to her. She apparently had been observing me in just about everything, and she could tell that I was putting up a front. She told me how her mother had passed away when she was in junior high. After hearing her talk about her experiences it was like the gates I was holding shut flung open.

My grandmother dying was the first time I had experienced death, and I needed to talk about it. Thanks to her I was able to open up about the things that were troubling me.

I found out a couple years later that my choir director was also communicating with my parents and my other teachers. What compassion she showed me! She not only cared openly about how I was, but she also took the time to check in on my other aspects of life. If that's not compassion, I don't know what is.