Of course, the bus took us to other places, too. One of the monthly places we visited was a local retirement community called The Springs. At The Springs, each student would pair up with an elderly person, and we would make crafts, play games, and talk and tell stories. I loved listening to the elders recall their childhood memories of school and dreamily recollect days long gone. Some of my friends found the visits boring, but I enjoyed hearing different perspectives on the modern world and learning about the changes they had witnessed in a short lifetime. These interactions made our visits to The Springs a favorite bus stop. I carry a love of various perspectives and storytelling to this day; I seek out people’s opinions and prioritize listening well. Recently, I started volunteering in middle school classrooms. Every week or so, I look forward to hearing the ideas and stories of the students, once again giving me new perspectives. Sometimes, the bus trips took me to places that sparked my imagination. For example, the Missoula Art Museum never disappointed. Viewing colorful paintings and complex sculptures gave me a different understanding of beauty, belonging, and voice. Being introduced to art at a young age inspired and fed my love for it. I now take as many art classes as I can fit into my schedule, spend hours sketching in my free time, and enjoy discovering new ways to use my artistic abilities. I know that my childhood with these museum trips has informed my love of art now. Looking back on the out-of-school learning opportunities I had as a child, I have mixed emotions: one part of me is grateful for that rickety school bus and the significant impact it had on my personal development. The other part feels a sense of duty to those who do not have such an opportunity to learn through experience, wonder, and curiosity. This duty is why I want to become a teacher when I go to the next bus stop in my life, at college. I hope to guide children using experiential learning so they, too, may discover all that can be learned outside of classroom walls.
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