Article August 8, 2011 Issue

Job-placement directed by God

By Barbara Presler

A high school English student of mine was writing her college entrance essay and came to me to ask for help with her writing. The composition topic was about exploring the rewards of struggling with a difficult situation and how this experience strengthens one. Interestingly enough, this Indian student, fluent in Punjabi and English, wrote about her difficulties in learning a third language, Spanish, and showed how this had been enriching for her—even though she’d flunked the subject. She praised her former Spanish teacher and her method of teaching, and said she felt that the reward was in the learning process. Later, she was able to master the basic requirements of the course. She believed in herself, she said, and this helped her turn a bad situation into a good one.

The key to true fulfillment is in loving to give.

I expressed my admiration for this student’s humble attitude, and as we went on to edit another of her compositions, she said, “This is the first time I stayed after school this year.” It was April and nearing the end of the academic year; unspoken was the inference that this was the first time she’d wanted to improve her academics that year. 