Nicholas Wilson
Hi, my name is Nicholas Wilson. I am currently a sophomore at Philadelphia Biblical University, studying Secondary Education—English. After switching my major to education, I decided to apply to Breakthrough to get a real life experience of what teaching would be like. My brother started out teaching years before, so, I was very familiar with Breakthrough and the kinds of opportunities they provide both students and teachers. More than anything else, I learned that teaching takes a lot of hard work and motivation. Juggling lesson plans, grading papers, and also maintaining a regular life outside of work was a challenge, yet, brought a lot of growth for me.
The biggest surprise for me while working with Breakthrough was the care, compassion, and energy I inevitably invested into each student as I built relationships with them. Many times it was my students that gave me my needed motivation through the week. In Breakthrough, each teacher teaches a subject and an elective. One of my “Breakthrough moments” came while teaching my creative writing class. Many of the students told me on the first day that they could not write and did not enjoy writing. Progressively throughout the summer, seeing each student grow a profound love for writing and creating their own works, made me feel assured that I left a positive mark in their educational experience (Some of my students still today comment on the captivating suspense of ‘The Tell Tale Heart’).
The biggest change for me from my Breakthrough experience was learning that my calling to make a difference in children’s lives requires me to be both relentless and hopeful. Each one of my students has taught me that giving up is not an option, and I hope to maintain that mentality as long as I live.
After I graduate from college, it is my hope to potentially join a residency program through Breakthrough’s pipeline program that is offered to all of Breakthrough’s teachers. One program in particular that I am interested in is one called AUSL out of Chicago, Illinois. Once finished my years there, I want to continue teaching in inner city schools while also writing books.
William Butler Yeats commented that, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” and, through Breakthrough and the remarkable students I worked with, I am forever grateful for having the opportunity to either spark, light, or maintain that fire for learning that every student inevitably has inside of themselves.
