Kathleen L. Small Teaching Scholarship

I am pursuing a career in education because I have always had a strong passion for working with children and helping them grow into confident, capable individuals. I have been a preschool teacher for 15 years, and through that experience I have seen firsthand how important early childhood is in shaping a child’s development. Being in the classroom all these years has only strengthened my desire to continue growing in this field and expand my impact beyond preschool. Becoming a mom of three was a huge turning point for me. It inspired me to go back to school and finish my education, not only for myself but for my children as well. I want to show them the importance of setting goals and following through, no matter how long it takes. Being both a teacher and a parent has deepened my understanding of children’s needs and has made me even more passionate about creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and excited to learn. I was recently accepted into San José State University, where I will be pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development through the PK–3 Integrated Teacher Education Program. This is such an exciting next step for me, as it allows me to build on my years of experience and continue working toward becoming an elementary school teacher. I am especially drawn to working with younger students because I understand how critical those early years are in building confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning. A big inspiration behind my journey into education is my mom. She also earned her Bachelor’s degree from San José State University, and I am proud to be following in her footsteps. She is currently a special education teacher in Petaluma, and I have always admired the patience, dedication, and compassion she brings to her work. Watching her advocate for her students and support children with diverse learning needs has had a lasting impact on me. Her example has shaped the kind of teacher I hope to become. I want to bring that same level of care, empathy, and commitment into my own classroom by creating an inclusive environment where every child feels seen, valued, and supported. For me, pursuing a career in education is more than just a profession, it is a passion, a personal journey, and a way to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families.

“It takes a big heart to shape little minds” is written on a mug that was gifted to me by one of my preschoolers’ caregivers, and it encapsulates my passion as an educator. My name is Kayla Truong, but I am usually referred to as Teacher Kayla or Ms. Kayla. Teaching is innate to me, as I have always been an educator to my younger sister. Teachers are caregivers, cheerleaders, therapists, leaders, mentors, and role models; they ensure that the security, belonging, and esteem needs of their students are met, just like my fourth-grade teacher from the Franklin-McKinley School District, Mr. Huang. As a San Jose native, I am no stranger to the diversity of Title I schools, and I want to serve students from low socioeconomic statuses and multilingual backgrounds as Mr. Huang has. He was committed to building relationships with his students that transcend the classroom. He knew that my dad worked night shifts and that my mom spoke limited English and stayed at home. He also knew that I attended an after-school program called CORAL because I needed help with homework. Sometimes, I still ask him for help, especially as I embark on my teaching journey. Additionally, he knew that I loved Hello Kitty and sketched me holding her face, which I saved in my scrapbook. Mr. Huang was a second father to me, and I hope to care for my elementary students in the same way, learning about their familial contexts and interests. Aside from my elementary school teacher and experience, I became a preschool TA at the Child Development Center near San Jose State University to immerse myself in the earliest years of child development and see what elementary students were like. During my shifts, I invite my preschoolers to join an activity to practice their attention maintenance and ask them open-ended questions to stimulate their critical thinking. When they experience peer conflicts, I support their emotional identification and perspective-taking, as well as offer solutions. I redirect behaviors by modeling actions and encouraging them to try again. As a result of fostering a nurturing environment and engaging in meaningful interactions, my students feel safe enough to talk to me, ask for help, and explore their interests. Beyond early childhood, I extended my passion for education to literacy services because I wanted to combat the literacy crisis. I volunteered as a tutor for Reading Partners and King Library, and my impact on the community can be seen through their reading progress. I prioritized building relationships with students by inquiring about their interests. I then cultivated their enthusiasm for reading through choice. Once they selected the book they wished to read, I reinforced phonics via decoding words by their letters and sounds and comprehension by asking questions throughout the book. Giving my students autonomy enticed them to become confident readers. I chose San Jose State University for my undergraduate and graduate programs because I wanted to become a transformative educator. My primary goal as a teacher is to influence my students to become lifelong learners. One pedagogical practice I will utilize is integrating scaffolds to increase their access to instruction as part of the multiple means of representation in the Universal Design for Learning. My students, including those with disabilities and multilingual learners, deserve to understand the content through gestures, visuals, realia, cognates, sentence frames, and graphic organizers. Most of all, they have the right to feel secure, a sense of belonging, and respected in my classroom, as I did in Mr. Huang’s class. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay.

Pursuing a career in education, specifically as a kindergarten or first-grade teacher, is a heartfelt decision driven by my extensive experience and a deep passion for shaping young minds. Having spent over seven years in the childcare field as an infant and toddler teacher and as a nanny, I've witnessed the profound impact of early education on a child's development. These experiences have not only honed my skills but have also deepened my commitment to nurturing the intellectual and emotional growth of young learners. Each day spent with children is a new adventure and an opportunity to influence their futures positively. It's in these formative years that children learn the cornerstones of social interaction, empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. My role has allowed me to see the transformation from dependency to discovery, watching as each child develops unique thoughts and abilities. My goal is to extend this influence by transitioning into a classroom environment where I can reach and inspire even more children at a critical stage in their educational journey. My inspiration to pursue this path comes from two primary sources: the wonderful children I have had the privilege to teach and care for, and my partner, who is a dedicated middle school teacher. Observing the daily growth and evolution of the children I work with offers constant motivation. Their innate curiosity and eagerness to learn fuel my passion for educational work and reinforce the impact of early childhood education. Moreover, my partner's commitment to his students significantly influences my educational aspirations. His role as an educator in San Jose, particularly impressive as someone for whom English is not a first language, showcases the profound effect a devoted teacher can have. His ability to connect with and inspire his students, despite the language and cultural barriers he has faced, underscores the universal language of dedication and love for teaching. Witnessing his hard work and the outcomes he achieves with his students every day motivates me to strive for the same level of impact and dedication in my teaching career. I believe that my background, combined with a scholarship aimed at fostering educational professionals, would allow me to achieve my dream of becoming a foundational part of children's educational journeys. By investing in my potential, this scholarship will not only aid in my professional development but also in the development of countless young lives. The opportunity to enhance my skills and knowledge as an educator is more than a personal achievement; it's an avenue to inspire, mold, and elevate the next generation of learners, helping them build a solid foundation for lifelong success.