Albrianna Jane Memorial Scholarship

I have known for some time that I wanted a degree in education, specifically in the area of Special Education. My younger sister has severe dyslexia, which is what initially guided me to the Special Education degree. I watched her struggle for years to learn just the names of the letters until she would eventually break down in tears, while my mother who was trying to teach her was also in tears. My sister was only five and already hated school because the mainstream way of learning didn’t work for her, which were the programs my mother homeschooled my older sister and me with. When my mother switched to a program specifically designed for dyslexic kids, however, my little sister thrived. It was amazing to see her attitude change when learning in a way that made sense to her but was heartbreaking to know just how many other kids struggling to learn just like her. Growing up with my sister showed me that I love interacting with those who have learning disabilities and special needs. From a young age, I was always playing with one of my friends who had Aspergers and also a little girl at our church who had Down Syndrome. I watched people around me not know how to interact with an Asperger's child or be afraid to talk with a kid who has Down Syndrome. It pushed me to want to educate and help those children so they feel and know that they have a place in this world instead of being dismissed to the sidelines. Advocating for people with disabilities and those in special education is something that every teacher should strive to make a habit. It hurts my heart when I am in classrooms observing for my degree and seeing the way teachers talk about special education students. The teachers haven’t been properly educated about the student’s strengths and abilities and therefore often limit their potential. Something I would love to accomplish in the future is to change the way teachers are educated. I would love for every teacher to have more intensive classes while pursuing their degree to help them understand the special education students they will undoubtedly have in their classrooms. The teachers need to be able to understand the students’ behaviors, strengths and weaknesses, and abilities, but unfortunately, I believe that is something severely lacking. I am currently pursuing a dual degree in Elementary Education and also Special Education, and I believe the classes that the P-5 grade only students have to take are not informative enough to properly prepare them for the classroom. I believe that every child should feel seen and changing how future teachers are educated is a way to help ensure that every student will know they are loved and have a place in this world.