Marie Humphries Memorial Scholarship

Sitting down at the kidney bean-shaped table, I eagerly called five third graders to join me for a group read. Never before had I had the opportunity to teach a group of students; I could barely retain my excitement. Even as a toddler, I stood aside my three-foot-tall whiteboard with an Expo marker at hand, dreaming of becoming a teacher. Now, as a high school Teacher Cadet student, my dream was about to become a reality. The students surrounded the circular table and opened their thin paperback books. One by one, they successfully mastered sentences from the booklet. As I called on the last child to read he gazed down at the black and white page with confusion. The tall brunette boy attempted to sound out each letter of every word but struggled to do so. I was disheartened to discover his inability to read even the small words. After class, my instructor, Mrs. Wood, sorrowfully informed me that this boy is still on a kindergarten reading level and lacks support at home to help him improve. I was dispirited to discover the young boy’s struggle. I even began to doubt my own ability to become a teacher, thinking negative thoughts like “There is nothing I can do to help”, and “What’s the point of trying?” Returning to my high school Teacher Cadet class with a heavy heart, I explained the situation to my teacher Mrs. Miles. Despite the issue, Mrs. Miles was always there to listen to my concerns. She supported me in all of my personal and academic pursuits; her guidance even inspired me to attend my current college, Appalachian State University. After describing my internship experience, Mrs. Miles glanced at me with caring eyes and began to speak softly. She explained that teaching is a difficult job, and we as educators will often carry home the burdens of our students. However, unlike most careers, teachers have the unique ability to inspire and support hundreds of children no matter their circumstances. Mrs. Miles’ reassuring words of encouragement motivated me to continue to pursue my dream career as an elementary teacher. As an educator, I hope to provide needed support to all students, whether by passing on words of encouragement or staying late after school to tutor a child. I want to inspire future generations so that they have the opportunity to read, write, and excel in the classroom. Ultimately, I aspire to pursue a career in education so that I can support hundreds of children in their journey to discover success and happiness, as my teachers, like Mrs. Miles, have done for me. As a freshman at Appalachian State University, I am now closer than ever to achieving my dream of becoming an elementary teacher. I have even been presented with the honor to be a member of the Appalachian Community of Educators program to further focus on teacher leadership. However, my family does not have the funds to support me financially throughout college. After all, my twin sister is also pursuing a college degree, and my little sister will soon join us as first-generation college students. I would be honored to receive the Marie Humphries Memorial Scholarship to help support my academic journey to become a teacher and inspire the future of tomorrow.