Margaret E. Lucas "Full-Blooded Wolfpack" Memorial Scholarship

My inspiration for a career in special education came from my dyslexia diagnosis in second grade. I was in and out of standard classrooms, “specialized” classrooms, and yearly IEP meetings. During these meetings, I felt like I had no voice, and everything was chosen for me. No one explained why I think the way I do and why I am different than my peers. When looking back at my journey I remember never being alone in the process, because other peers had similar diagnoses and struggles. I was the student who always wanted to help my peers because I knew how difficult it was. Going into college, I knew I wanted to help people like me. I decided to study child development and minor in psychology to gain as much knowledge as I could, but also have the opportunity to be placed at schools to see firsthand how I can best support these children. The summer before the start of my junior year, I decided to work at the Meredith Autism Program. This opportunity allowed me to work one-on-one with a client and prepare them for kindergarten. I found this rewarding because I was in a unique and close teaching environment and I was able to learn with and from my client. In the spring semester of my junior year, I was placed at the Frankie Lemmon School and Developmental Center. This allowed me to work with children with and without disabilities. It was amazing to see an environment in which children without disabilties avoided those with and could communicate with and play with each other. One of the children I worked with was nonverbal and nearing the end of my session he said my name. This sticks with me because when I first came in he avoided me, but then he became comfortable around me and trusted me to help him. I want to work with children with learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities because it is where I feel most comfortable. I can relate to them on a personal level and empathize with their frustrations. I want them to go through life having someone in their corner who sees all of them and not just their disability. I want them to know that they are special and their disability is their superpower, that’s how I see mine. We see the world completely differently than others and are here to create change and show the world a different and beautiful perspective. I want to make more opportunities for people with disabilities and give them the tools, resources, and respect they deserve in their lives. I want to work directly with students and help teachers create a safe, encouraging learning space for children who think and learn differently. I want to help them see that they are exceptional and extraordinary and belong in this world. I chose North Carolina State University because I was diagnosed at the Diagnostic Teaching Clinic in second grade. My parents are both alumni and it has always been my dream to go to State, so when I was accepted into the Graduate Program in Special Education, it was a full circle moment and a dream come true. I am thrilled to be earning my Master of Arts in Teaching degree and to becoming a licensed Special Education teacher in North Carolina representing NC State as another alumnus in my Wolfpack family! Going back to State in the same building where my journey began when I was a struggling reader in elementary school is like going back home; this is where I was meant to be.

My career in special education bloomed when my cousin was born. My cousin Paul, who is a sixth grader in Massachusetts, has severe autism. When I was younger, I got to see Paul for who he is—a kind, funny, and caring guy. My aunt would tell me how the kids at his school and in his neighborhood never really played with him or wanted to be around him. That's something that to this day I still don't understand. I think one of the biggest misconceptions in the special education field is that the students who are in it are "different". My biggest goal in becoming a teacher, specifically a special education teacher, is to treat my students how I would anybody else. I believe that these students deserve the same level of advocacy and belief in their capabilities that anyone else does. With the former special education students who I've had, I have always made it a goal for them, and their parents, to know how proud I am of them. Because despite everybody telling them that they can't do something, they have shown me, their parents, their teachers, and their peers, that they can go above and beyond those expectations if given a chance. When I graduate from North Carolina State University in 2026, I plan to be an ECS teacher somewhere in Wake County and work with high school or lower elementary students. While being a first-year teacher, I plan to pursue my MED at NC State in special education. I've had the opportunity to work with the Dean's office in the College of Education, and being surrounded by such amazing and inspiring people has pushed me to potentially pursue a PhD in either Special Education or Educational Leadership. While that is plenty of years away, I truly think that achieving a Doctorate would allow me to have a position in Wake County, or any county, to oversee the special education department. I hope that in any job or position that I have in education, I can make a positive and lasting influence on my students. A position on the school board overseeing special education and making sure that I can provide the best opportunities and resources for teachers to give their students the most powerful and beautiful thing I could do in a career. In my career, if one student feels that I've made a positive and lasting difference in their life, then I know I've done my job. An opportunity for me to provide pre-service and current teachers resources to do the same is quite literally all I could hope or ask for in a career. I would be honored if I was chosen to be one of the recipients of this scholarship as this would help me achieve the goals that I have set for myself.

The content, classroom, or pay is not why I am choosing to teach special education, it is the students I will work with. As I reflect on my experiences with students with disabilities, I realize that I have learned so much from them. Whether it was how to communicate with someone who is non-verbal or determining the best course of action for students with disabilities educationally, I discovered that I too am the student. A few stories come to mind that have inspired me to teach in a special education classroom. First, there is a student named Caleb who is a person with autism spectrum disorder. Each time I would go into the classroom I was excited to see Caleb because I knew he was going to be equally as excited to see me. Although he could not express it in words, I saw his joy for school evidenced by the look in his eyes. Caleb showed me how much could be expressed and communicated non-verbally. Caleb taught me to pay close attention to the entirety of a communicating person not just their words. Second, when I was in high school I volunteered every day to play with the special education students in the gym. There was one student that would shoot baskets each day for the entirety of the time we were in the gym. Adam was content to shoot the ball over and over again, so I would stand at the base of the hoop and rebound every shot he made. We wouldn’t talk much, but with every shot, I would give him a thumbs up that was reciprocated back to me. Adam showed me how to connect by tapping into and sharing in that person's joy. He was one of the happiest and most content people I have ever met, and through our shared experience I became content as well. Finally, I recently met Judy, an adult with an intellectual disability through the best buddies program at NC State. Judy and I talk on the phone almost every day. We chat about the grocery store, religion, and most importantly life. There is so much joy in our conversations and I look forward to hearing what she has to say. Recently, Judy told me that she was bullied in school when she was young. Judy told me that the other students called her names and mocked her, and I realized that even at 56 years old, she was still deeply traumatized by this experience. I saw this as an opportunity to work with Judy to advocate for herself. I helped Judy to understand that people who hurt others are simply hurting inside. Then I worked with Judy on expressing to those that bully her that she is disappointed and hurt by their words. As we developed a plan for such encounters, I could feel the relief and empowerment Judy was experiencing and felt such satisfaction that I had been a part of helping Judy stand up for herself in a positive and productive way. These experiences are just a small glimpse of the possibilities in special education. Not only is it about academics, but it is also about bonding with students emotionally, teaching them independence, and how to advocate for themselves. After I graduate in 2024, I plan on teaching special education in an elementary school. I don’t need the showy trappings of being a teacher, all I need are the students. They are what inspire me to teach and keep me motivated to help them learn.

I was inspired to pursue a degree in special education because when I was in 7th grade I started volunteering at Matthews Helping Hands. Matthews Helping Hands is a non-profit created in memory of a little boy named Matthew who had autism and passed away. Matthews Helping hands holds events where children with special needs can attend and participate in crafts, games, scavenger hunts, and other fun things. It was so special to me to be a part of such a great event where I got to make a difference in not only the children's lives but their parents' lives. The children were always so happy to be there and to see their friends, and that made me happy. I continued Matthews Helping hands until my Junior year when COVID-19 happened. They had to stop doing the events because it was unsafe for the children and their parents. I was heartbroken to not be able to participate in the event because I enjoyed it so much. I was then inspired to turn this feeling of sadness from missing these events into a future career in special education. Another inspiration to become a special education teacher had to do with my job at a summer camp where I have worked the past two summers. I have got to meet and work with the most amazing children. Kids who I almost cry about at the end of the summer when we say goodbye because I will miss them so much. One of these children was named Jack. Jack Q was a 4-year-old boy with autism who had the sweetest personality. Every day I came into work and woul dgo up to Jack and say hello and ask him how his morning is, and then go along with the rest of my day, and say goodbye at the end. The day I came into work and Jack remembered me and came up to me, was truly a special day. It meant that Jack remembered me and that meant the most to me. I always looked out for Jack and wanted to make sure he was always feeling okay, and if he needed anything I was there. I think this was also a pivotal point in my decision to become a special education teacher to make relationships like the one I made with Jack. My plans after graduation are to work in a special education classroom where I can help make a difference in children's lives every day. Having a classroom that is welcoming and inclusive to all. A classroom where I have relationships with all of the kids who come through my classroom doors.I have also thought about the possibility of in the future trying to pursue a degree in psychology to possibly become a therapist, and help children even more. I would try to pursue this while still working in a special education classroom.