College Essay On My Mentees

I am one of eight children and the first in my family to attend college. During my freshmen year of college, I did not quite understand what that meant. I volunteered at the local high school and after school program. Most of my mentees came from similar backgrounds- crime infested and crime ridden neighborhoods, and would be the first in their families to graduate. I constantly preached the importance of an education at all levels. Being a Black male attending a predominantly White college, my mentees thought my parents must be wealthy. I had to share personal experiences and prove to my mentees that I was worthy of their trust and relationships. I worked tirelessly to be an exemplary example for not only my younger siblings, but my mentees as well. I am proud to say I played a significant role in my younger brother graduating high school, becoming a U.S. soldier, and now pursuing a degree in education. My work is not complete, I still have three younger sisters that must graduate high school and move on to post-secondary education. The summer following my first year I received an internship to teach at Breakthrough Collaborative in Miami, Florida, as a ninth grade reading teacher for a program geared towards bridging the gap in education for minority students. I was drawn to the program because of its mission. At the time, I paired to become a lawyer. I wanted to help my community through the law and opening up my own community center. After that summer, being an educator always lingered in my mind, so the following two summers I continued to go back. Each summer was different and had its amazing moments, like when a student told me about being proud of his rough neighborhood or the look on a student’s face when he realized that he could show his intelligence without ridicule from others in my male centered elective course, “Dude! Bro! Homie! Lets Talk.” I created the course to give Black and Brown males a space to discuss, explore, and study their heritage and the new role they would someday play in society. …show more content…
The past year and a half I have been teaching at KIPP Delta Collegiate High School. During my first year as a teacher, I taught three courses in freshman English and one in English three, attended three professional development meetings per week, and had to construct two sets of lesson plans. To a veteran teacher this is a walk in the park, but it was challenging for a novice teacher who did not major in the area he enjoys teaching. Every day I tried to make sure my students were developing critical thinking skills, questioning texts, and understanding the world around them through literature. I also worked hard to meet the criteria my administration had set for me. My students did not know the countless hours I spent planning lessons, searching for relevant material, or how many times I asked my administration to help me construct realistic objectives for class. Now, I currently teach three courses of Social Emotional Learning, and advise the tenth grade student government association. In working in “the Delta”, I have realized the tremendous need for men of color in education. I am one of three Black male teachers on my entire school campus. It is pertinent that I teach my young men and women of color to empower themselves with the knowledge necessary to seek justice and challenge injustice in their school and community. I must also show my white students