Carolle Fish (Isabelle) Scholarship

I have always loved working with children and helping people succeed. My mom is a special educator and I have always taken inspiration from her work. In elementary school I had a classmate who was on the spectrum. I was often paired to work with him because I was able to provide a natural support for him and he would complete work alongside me. I have been involved in the Unified Sports program through middle and high school and after graduation became a coach for the program as well. My senior year in high school I faced the incredibly sad loss of one of my high school history teachers. When this happened it solidified the direction I wanted to take. I decided that I would major in Secondary History Education. When I had this teacher I kept with me how he was able to not only teach students in a fun and engaging way, but he was able to support them in their struggles in a professional way. As a future educator I want to take from all of my experiences and bring history to life as Mr. Curtis did and follow in my mom's footsteps and reach all students where they are at and welcome them into my classroom. Many people have asked why I am not pursuing special education. My answer to them is that I have seen many general educators be unsure of how to work with students or include students with different learning needs into their classroom. I want to be the general educator that teaches all students and makes them feel welcome in my room. I have also watched as my 2 brothers have navigated the school system on IEP's. I have been able to watch the difference a teacher can make in their education. When a teacher shows that they believe in a student and are willing to work with them it can be give the student the confidence to push themselves to work outside of their comfort zone and achieve great things. In conclusion helping people has always been a passion of mine and I tell people it is in my blood! After I complete my undergrad degree and begin teaching I then plan to pursue my masters in special education. I want to continue balancing knowledge and experience in history education as well as special education so that I can adapt and be prepared for the everchanging needs that students come to school with.