A Memoir about the Impact of a Teacher

The guidance and counseling teacher made my life turn to the positive side. The first day in high school, I entered the gates with much boldness in my mind to cross the bridge to the university. Being accompanied by my father, I felt secure and contented. We went straight to the administration block where we found the waiting room full of new students; they looked determined in life and geared toward success. Now, it came my time to get into the office. As I entered, the environment changed abruptly, and the aroma of seriousness filled the air. The principal welcomed us and told my father to have a seat. I looked at him expecting that he will allow me to sit; however, as if he had read my mind, he shouted in front of my face that students do not get tired of standing. That statement made my heart skip a beat, and a sensation of fright was transmitted from my head to toe. Questions on the personality of the principal rolled around my brain traffic; the main query that almost made my brain congested was: “Being the head of the school, does the principal reflect the behavior of the institution as a whole?”

The principal had a long conversation with my dad that hardly got into my ears; after approximately an hour, we were done with the administration. On our way out, we were received by another cheerful man who relieved my terror mood. The man showed me the accommodation areas and even my bed. My father went back home, and it dawned on me that I was on my own. I had no idea that the break of peace was temporary. In the evening, when I went to bed, it turned to hell. Big boys were waiting there for me armed with towels, tied knots, and sticks. After a while, I realized that I was lying on the floor with my body aching all over. In a split-second impulse, I rose up, furiously got under the sheets, and slept. Immediately, some of the boys came and told me that the event was an introduction to high school life; if I wanted peace, I should get recruited to their group. They told me that they had a gang called The Untouchables. They enjoyed privileges from other students in that they did not do their assignments, but chose the bright student to do it on their behalf and used other students to do their cleaning.

Due to the irrational fear instilled in me, I had no choice but to join the bad group. The first and second year, I enjoyed being a member of the group; I did not do my exams or any assignments. It was the obligation of the bright student I had chosen to find some way to do my papers; in case of failure, heavy punishment was imposed on him. During the third year, the principal got information about the group, and we were all sent home for our parents. We were beaten and given tasks that took two weeks to finish. The principal then directed us to see the guidance and counseling teacher.

The other boys tried to convince me to continue with the dreadful acts even after counseling, but I declined. At my lessons during guidance and counseling, I opened up to the teacher on how I joined the group. The teacher advised me to change my friends and arranged for extra time in my tuition. From that time, my grades began to improve together with my relationship with the other students. During my fourth year, I got the best grade in the school. The guidance and counseling teacher changed my life from failure to success.