My Influences

The first person I would like to share about was my high school biology teacher, Mr. C. He was young, frighteningly enthusiastic about science (imagine a young Bill Nye the Science Guy), and passionate about his faith. Every year, during the very first class, he would shut the door and share his testimony with his class. Mr. C. had been raised in an abusive and broken home; he had turned to a life of drugs; alcohol, and crime at a young age; his childhood hobbies had involved torturing live animals and beating on kids around him; he had attempted suicide twice before the age of fifteen. I won't try to share Mr. C.'s subsequent story of change and redemption, simply because I could never do it justice- suffice to say that he had eventually ended up here, in a private Christian school, teaching science and gushing to anyone who would listen about how amazing his Savior was. Needless to say, Mr. C. was not your average biology teacher.
Mr. C.'s influence on me always came at the end of his testimony, when he would explain to his students why he had chosen to willingly share his backstory with us; he wanted everyone to understand that he had 'been there,' that his own childhood had been a nightmare and that he could understand and empathize with nearly anything that any one of us might be going through. Mr. C. made it clear that he had an 'open-door policy;' anyone, at any time, could ask to speak with him about anything. He swore to listen, to pray, to not judge, and to keep everything completely private. I never took him up on his open-door policy, but many students- and a few of my friends- did, and I realized throughout high school that more kids would go and talk to Mr. C. than to any of the school guidance counselors. This realization, and my admiration for what an unusual but appreciated teacher he was, sparked a desire in me to play that role for others; I, too, wanted to be someone that people could go to when they felt lost, angry, or hurt, and when they felt as though there was no one else to go to.

The second person I would like to share about is my younger sister, Cas. Cas recently struggled with depression for several years, and she has always idolized my elder sister- who, while a wonderful person whom I love dearly, is not the type of person who should be idolized or emulated in several respects. During Cas's depression in middle and high school, I began to reach out to her in every way I could think of- I spent time with her every chance I could get, bought her things, took her fun places, talked to her all the time, and even shared my bedroom with her several times. As our friendship grew stronger, I became a confidante for Cas- instead of going to our older sister for guidance and advice, I became the go-to person whom she looked to for guidance. Our relationship today is still strong, and I always offer her the opportunity to vent or use me as a sounding board or confidante when she needs to. I love that I have become a trusted friend, not just a sister, and that I am now able to offer guidance when she needs it.

My final influence was a woman named Dottie. All throughout college, I worked in the activities department of an assisted living home. Dottie was a resident there- she was about seventy years old when I first starting working. Being part of the daily life of an assisted living home can be a very somber, grim experience- many people do not want to be there, and many are lonely and/or angry about their circumstances. Dottie was lonely, bitter, angry, and very, very sad. When I first met her, she acted viciously; after a few minutes of her yelling and name-calling, she broke down in tears and began to tell me about how difficult she was finding it to adjust to this new home that her family had left her in. I sat and let her cry, and we ended up talking for a long time. After that first interaction, Dottie began to seek me out from time to time- she would come into my office and vent, and I would just sit there and let her. After a few of our impromptu meetings- which were very commonplace, for me and for several other staff members, since many of the residents usually simply wanted for someone to listen to them speak- I realized that I loved listening to Dottie tell me about her life and her struggles. I was seeing a side of her that she kept hidden, but that she needed to be seen by someone, and I enjoyed playing that role for her. I was majoring in Psychology at the time, and realized that I was acting as an impromptu and unofficial counselor for Dottie- this turned my interests more specifically towards counseling.