Marcia Quezada

Ms. Gokturk

Expos 10

Inspiration For my Young Mind

            Cecilia Escamilla has been working at Weber Middle School for the past 14 years. She has been a great impact for many young Latino students in the Port Washington Community. I have been one of the few privleged students who had an opportunity to work with her as my mentor and as an inspiration in my life.

            My years at Weber Middle School weren’t what you can call “nice”. They were pretty lonely and depressing. I had a small phobia when it came to meeting people and I was emotionally un-capable of dealing with certain aspects of my life as much as personal and familial. It all started because I was having problems concentrating in many of my classes, and my problems at home affected me significantly. My only friend at the time decided to find help for me, and she introduced me to a lady who was working with her as well. Pati had told me that Miss. Escamilla could help me solve my problems, so I decided to embark the mission of actually seeking the help I needed and I decided to give it a shoot. Many times I hesitated to make an appointment and I finally did. The day came and I received a pass from my homeroom teacher. Again I hesitated, I didn’t want to dispose of my problems on to anyone else and much more to a person at school I just couldn’t. I thought and thought and I went even though I keep on fighting with myself.

            I knocked on the door twice. No Answer. As I was turning around to start walking back to my classroom she opened the door. She greeted me with a big smile and said “Hi you must be Marcia?” I replied “Yes, uhh ..Yea that’s me.” She then said, “Can you wait a second? I’m working with these eigth graders and it will take a second” So I patiently waited outside the office. During those two or three minutes of waiting. I started to wonder that I should go and just escape and she’ll probably will forget I came. Then I thought but maybe I should go. She’s too nice and she’ll probably call my mother if I run away. Then I had another thought , “No don’t be stupid  don’t leave maybe you can be helped and stop feeling down all the time just maybe” I stayed I saw three girls in her office. They walked out and I was left alone in the room with her. Her office was very small for a Social Worker. Quite tiny if you ask me. She sat at her desk, hands crossed, her hair was black her eyes were brown, and she looked like any regular teacher to me. Except for the fact that most people would think we were realted. We began to convorsate. Listening to me attentively she never said a word but listened. She dissected every bit of who I was and what was happening to me emotionally.

            I look back upon those years of darkness and no hope. I can compare myself in that time to a withering flower who began to droop, but she came bearing the sunlight that I needed. Meeting Ms. Escamilla I never knew she would have such a immense impact on my life and who I am today. What she did was give me every piece of strength that I need to become the  young woman I am today. Bold, Smart, Funny, Worldly and Knowledge. Not that kind of knowledge you get in books but knowledge that you acquire because you have been through so many things. By meeting her, I achieved many things. Many teacher thought of me as the typical Hispanic stereo-type with no ambition but she helped me show everyone that I was much more than what the outside showed. I had a fire deep within me wanting to be lit and wanting to shine. In eigth grade I was given the Gary L, Ackerman Congressional Award. Due to my work in trying to improve the atmosphere of my middle school. In a way Ms. Escamilla to help others. To listen to other peoples problems just as she listened to mine. I know I have not been the only person she has inspired to be a better person. All I know now is that seeing the world in gray was not fun but after seeing it in all types of colors it is a superb feeling.