Cedarburg student's essay wins a trip to Africa... for her teacher!

CEDARBURG (WITI) -- They're the words that flowed from Cedarburg High School student Maja Orlowska's mind onto paper, now touching the life of a teacher she admires.

"It`s a debt that I can never repay, ever. She will always be a very special young lady to me," said Orlowska's teacher Jennifer Bault.

Before school was released for the summer, Bault learned about a national contest from the school principal.

The contest called for students to write an essay about the impact education can have on individuals and communities, along with its role in breaking the cycle of poverty.

"I felt like something about the opportunity spoke to me that I should do it and I thought why not," said Orlowska.

Orlowska decided to give it a shot, only having a matter of days to write the essay.

But she wasn't writing it for herself, because it's the teacher of the student whose essay is selected who wins a trip to Africa.

As Bault read the words of her students essay, she was blown away.

"I`m like oh my gosh, I couldn`t have written it. It was truly a beautiful essay," said Bault.

When Orlowska got the news that she was the only student in the country to win, she was beyond thrilled.

"I was just really ecstatic because this is by far my biggest writing achievement , so it means a lot to me because writing is what I love to do most," said Orlowska.

Next month, Bault will travel to Tanzania to visit schools and see first-hand how education is changing lives.

"To bring home all of that imagery, to bring home all of those experiences to all of my future students. It`s an experience that I`m absolutely thrilled to be able to be a part of," said Bault.

An experience all made possible by a student's talent and passion for writing.