Macklin-McDowell Scholarship

My main inspiration for going into the field of education is my passion to make an impact on people's lives. Throughout my whole life, going to school became a sanctuary from my hectic home life. I was raised by a single immigrant mother of three children, and because of her need to take care of her children, she wasn't home a lot and could not always provide the support I needed as I was growing up. I often found solace in my favorite teachers, and I was able to immerse myself in learning. As an adult now, I am able to reflect on the teachers that made a difference in my life, and I want to be able to become a fond memory for my future students to look back on. My biggest educational inspiration is my high school band director, Aaron Morgan. He was my biggest motivator when I was in high school, and the impact he made in my life can not truly be put into words. He was able to push me to improve and become a better musician while also being supportive and understanding when I struggled. Mr. Morgan continued to believe in my abilities as a musician and future educator even when I lost faith in myself. He is the reason why today, I am studying Music Education and plan to have a career as a music teacher. Having unsupportive parents of my career choice was and still is a difficult thing to deal with. However, I chose to follow the path that would make me feel the most fulfilled rather than chasing money in a career that I have no passion for. That is one of the main ways I want to make a difference in my community. I want to be able to be the support system for future music educators who don't necessarily have that at home. My future students will know that I will be there for them every step of the way as their biggest cheerleader and motivator. As a Vietnamese-American woman going into a White-male dominated industry, the most significant difference I want to make in the music education community is to provide my students with the representation that many of them desperately crave as students. In my experience, every single one of my band directors in middle school and high school were White men. I had a couple of female music teachers in elementary school however, they were still all White. Teachers should be able to represent their vastly diverse group of students. I never had the opportunity to have that representation and role model that I was missing from my life. My goal as a future educator is to make sure all my students are able to feel safe and welcome in their school environment.

What inspired me to go into Elementary Education was the teachers that I have had since I started school back in Kindergarten. From the teachers that have helped me along the way and supported me and my goals to even the teachers that I didn't get along with that showed me what I didn't want others to go through. Each teacher has given me something that I have cherished and want to give back, hope for the future, encouragement to achieve my dreams, the strength to get through tough times, and the kindness to want to help others. Two examples would be my Kindergarten teacher and my social studies teacher in high school. My Kindergarten teacher was named Ms. Shapiro, she was a teacher I would never forget, especially due to how she impacted how I learned and saw the world. My teacher would take her time to make sure all her students understood what was being learned and to help each other if we were struggling. Ms. Shapiro gave us the tools necessary to grow and succeed in whatever we wanted, and that is something I will never give up or forget. She was the first person to introduce the idea of becoming a teacher to me and was completely supportive of me during her time at my school. Ms. Shapiro would help me during school with my work in other grades, and even outside of school, her compassion and dedication to bettering the lives of her students is something I strive for. My other teacher Mr. Charles showed me the reality of life, and how to move forward into college. He was a Michigan State Alumni which helped me through my journey of applying to MSU and getting accepted. Mr. Charles also took time out to make sure that not only were we getting an educational lesson but also a life lesson. He made sure that when we graduated high school we were prepared to live on our own. He also made sure that we could contact him and receive help if needed to be. His dedication to advancing his student's knowledge and resources wherever in life they decide to go is something that I respect and appreciate as well. I plan to make a difference in my community by giving what all my teachers gave me and giving it back to future generations. I want to work in an urban school and help show students who may be underrepresented that they have a voice that can be heard. I know that if I can help them achieve or even start the process of accomplishing a goal no matter how small I can give them the tools to be successful in life. To be able to work in my community would be something that I look forward to, especially to see my teachers and show them that their work didn't go to waste. That everything that they have taught me and showed me will always be put to use to help others just as much as I was helped.