Kaden Christensen

Dr. LueLinda Egbert

EDUC 201

A Life Influenced
A life reflection cannot be fully analyzed without first admitting to the failures and
imperfections of the individual. My life is not perfect and my successes are far fewer than my
failures. It has been the result of my many mistakes that have led me to turn to some individuals
who have greatly influenced my life and my passions. Teaching was never in my mind before the
age of 19. I thought I wanted to be a businessman, or a doctor, or a police officer. No; I was
mistaken and my desires were fogged over with uncertainty. It is only when I hit my own rock
bottom that I fully, finally discovered what it was I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted
to serve my fellow men; that is, become a high school educator.
Born and raised in Boise Idaho, I was blessed with the freedoms this beautiful country
offers. Being raised in a strong Christian family was perhaps one of the biggest blessings in my
life. My parents, being the selfless and loving teachers they were and still are, taught me to
always love one another without exception or prejudice. It is self evident that our society today
lives and breathes based upon the stereotypical prejudices that come along with ones own race,
gender, and appearance. This is unfortunate. Much of the world we live in sees color. My parents
never taught color; they taught heart. They taught me that it is whats on the inside of a person
that makes them unique and beautiful. They taught me that if I wanted to elevate myself, then it
should never be at the expense of the other person. They taught me to love the hearts of those
around me rather than count the number of minorities in the room. They taught me that each
person is fighting a battle I know nothing about, and therefore I should always be considerate

and kind to all. I will never be able to fully thank them for how they raised me. The best way I
can thank them, I believe, is to pass this same principle and truth on to my own children, and my
own students. If anyone aspires to be a successful teacher and educator, they must first put aside
all aspects of prejudice or discrimination. Thankfully, and mean thankfully, this was engrained in
my head since the day I was born. It is only when I started to reach my teenage years that I really
got a feel for the real world as far as race and prejudice is concerned. By that time I was able to
view and understand others opinions while still staying true to what I know to be true and
correct.
When you are expected to do something that you arent ready for, it can be a horrendous
whirl of panic, stress, fear, and confusion. The truth is, I was not ready for high school to be over.
I was not prepared to face the demands of post-high school life. I was young and ignorant, as it
seems many high schoolers are, naturally. Towards the end of my high school years, I realized I
was old enough to make my own decisions. Therefore I did. Again, I am very thankful for my
parents and the freedom they gave me to do as I pleased. They knew I was smart and would
always do my best. If it were not for this trust, that admittedly got abused by yours truly, I would
not be where I am at today. On the outside I was a good boy in high school. I played sports and
stayed in shape. I received good grades, but they were nothing close to what I could have gotten
had I been disciplined and focused, unfortunately. On the inside I was broken. I made foolish
decisions constantly. I chased the curiosity of my youthful age, which led to a cycle of unhealthy
behaviors. I would go to church on Sundays and promise to be better, thought my actions were
almost always of the opposite nature. I was two-faced and unhappy to say the least.
After I went through the worst summer months of my life, I began to question my
importance in life. I questioned my position in this world. Was I even meant to be here? I

believed in God, but why would He want me here? I had no idea what I wanted to be or where I
wanted to attend college. All I knew was that I wanted to, somehow, somewhere. I contemplated
suicide. Yes, I thought about it long and hard. I was not in a right place of mind. After receiving
the help I needed with heaven-knows what strength I had in me, I wrote a list of the top 10 most
influential people in my life. To my utter surprise, 6 out of the 10 were past teachers I had had.
Teachers have a huge influence on students! I had never even considered teaching before. All I
know is that I wanted to help teenagers and be with them in a positive, educational setting where
they could feel safe and comfortable. I wanted to be in a position where they could see me and
know I am their friend. I wanted them to be able to develop a special trust and relationship with
me the way I did with these 6 teachers of mine. I wanted to be able to be a good and positive
example to them. I wanted to teach them, help them, and do whatever I could so that they would
not have to go through the pains that I went through. What profession influences the most people
in any given moment? It is that of a professional teacher of course! This newfound knowledge
excited me and it still does to this day.
Being the first of four siblings to actively pursue a college degree, I have never been
more excited to chase a passion of mine that I hold so dearly. I am in my Sophomore year at the
College of Southern Idaho and I am enjoying every minute of it. I have been blessed with so
many freedoms and privileges because of the fact that I live in the greatest country this world has
ever seen; The United States of America! I love American history and learning about those who
went before us. I believe we are so indebted to those giant patriotic souls who sacrificed so much
for us that we might not have to suffer through what they had to. They did everything they did
for you and I. How awesome and wonderful is that piece of information? How much importance
do we place on the historical figures that paved the way for us? In my humble opinion, I say not

nearly enough as we should. That is another point as to why I am also pursuing an education
after high school; because I want my children to know that their father did it, and so can they. I
want them to go far beyond my accomplishments. I know they will, no matter the fields they
choose to chase.
It is now common practice in my life to pick the brains of all those I can, be it professors,
counselors, church leaders, friends, peers, the store clerk, the guy who delivers my morning
paper, what have you. I love to know how other people did it. I love knowing their thought
processes and the way they view problems to be solved. I love reading about people of great
accomplishment for that exact reason! How do we know where to go and how to do it if we dont
know where we have been and what we have done? This is a question I occasionally ask myself
when I get discouraged. It motivates me to continue on in my pursuit of happiness and
fulfillment. Isnt that the ultimate goal for every person? We want to be genuinely happy and
joyful if we can help it; and we can! Learn of other people. Take notes, write papers, do research,
create theories, stretch your mind, expand that comfort zone of yours just a little bit. I can say
from experience that if we refuse to grow and educate ourselves, then we become self-claimed
victims of life. We become useless and dull. When we expand our zone of comfort and think
outside of the box, then we begin to grow. When we begin to grow, we begin to influence others
for good. We become an example for them in more ways than one. If we can give hope to others,
then why dont we? Because at one time or another, we all have been in need of a little more
hope in order to keep trudging on in life. At one time or another, we have all relied on another,
whether we knew it or not. We relied on them to show us a glimpse of hope. The same hope that
my teachers showed me and that my parents showed me. When we can receive hope from others

and then turn around and pass that hope on to others, our lives become lives of dramatic
influence for greatness.