Future Teachers of America Scholarship

Despite the hardships that came with starting my teaching career during the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m certain now more than ever that deciding to be an educator was the right career choice for me. I am a licensed English and Spanish teacher, and have decided to begin my journey of starting my M.S. in secondary education. I realized the impact I had over the last two-and-a-half years in my first teaching position when I told my students I would be moving to pursue my master’s degree full-time. One particular child that I had two years in a row, who struggled with English due to dyslexia and had many obstacles he was facing outside of school, cried the day I left stating that I was the only teacher that ever believed in him. In the moment of saying goodbye to my students, I knew that even though I was a fresh teacher, I had made a difference in their lives. Many students shared similar sentiments to me, reinforcing that pursuing my passion of teaching and inspiring others to achieve their goals was worthwhile. My family has been one of my biggest influences in my decision to pursue education. In one of my very early memories, I am a toddler with all of my stuffed animals gathered around me; I'm teaching them how to count on my little toy chalkboard. When my baby sister was born, I had an actual human to help with their education. My family always stressed the importance of a good education, explaining that a valuable education would open many doors. Not only was learning important, but also spreading what you learned to others as a way to help them succeed. In today's world, knowledge is one of the most important things a human can have. Being a knowledgeable person not only helps us in a practical sense, it also opens our eyes and allows us to empathize with others. Becoming an educator has meant that I provide the critical role of facilitating learning for students, with some surmounting many obstacles in their lives. My experiences with my students has proven to me that I am making a difference in their lives, reinforcing the reason I became a teacher in the first place: to shape the future by investing in the next generations. Pursuing my master's degree will help me deepen my management skills, pedagogical best practices, and content-knowledge, so that I can continue to foster my students’ desire to learn, and motivate them to achieve their goals in the classroom and in their communities. After earning my degree, I plan on returning to the classroom full-time. My long term dream after finishing my master’s degree is to earn my special education certification so that I can work specifically with Deaf children. I want to champion the successes of today’s youth for as long as I possibly can.