My personal faith in God has helped me in my life because it has provided me hope. I have lived a pretty quiet life: I have a good family dynamic, my parents are still married, I have not had any major trauma against me. But I still see that is not the case for everyone. When I look at the world, I see brokenness and harmful ideologies. My faith has given me hope that one day Jesus will come back for His people. The Bible gives me hope that the life I was going to lead, away from God, no longer chains me. It gives me hope in my future and where I am going after death. John 16:33 says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (NIV). We are not promised an easy life in Christ, we are actually promised that we will struggle. But we, as Christians, are told the only way to make it through this sinful world is to be in Christ and turn to Christ. This verse is one that I keep close to my heart as I go through life's daily struggles. Christ has won the age-old battle of sin, and I can take comfort in that fact. My faith in Jesus Christ will assist me in my career because of the hope it provides me. I am currently enrolled at Cedarville University, receiving a degree in Middle Childhood Education with a minor in Biblical Studies. I intentionally chose Cedarville University because I would be immersed in Christian values. I also chose Cedarville University because I knew that my entire college education would show me the way to use my faith in school systems. The American School System is known to be the biggest supporter of separating church and state, also said as taking faith out of schools. I want to be the educator that shows my faith through my daily conduct. Cedarville University is teaching me how I can properly do so without losing my job in the process. My faith in the Lord will help me have hope when I see so many messy backgrounds my students come from. My faith will help me to see the good in all my students, even when it is difficult, because they are all children of God. My faith will help me to show God's love and grace to my future students, causing me to be someone that my future students feel comfortable coming to in times of need. I feel that because I am so immersed in my faith in the Lord it positively impacts all areas of my life.

Giving back to the community or others around me is important to me. One of the ways I do this is through mentoring and teaching at my church. I teach the middle school aged class on Sunday mornings. A mentor who has had a significant impact on me is my high school Math teacher, Mr. Spiess. He not only taught me the intricacies of navigating mathematics but also inspired me to be curious, to question, and to pursue knowledge beyond the classroom in my faith. Mr. Spiess led our school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club after school and mentored to me and my peers throughout the week. To pay it forward, I plan to emulate Mr. Spiess's approach by fostering a similar environment of curiosity and critical thinking in my own teaching and mentoring experiences. I want to impart my love of learning by creating engaging and interactive lessons that encourage students to explore topics deeply and make connections between what they learn in class and the world around them. I believe in creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment where every student feels valued and empowered to share their ideas. By showing enthusiasm for the subject matter and demonstrating its relevance to their lives, I hope to inspire my students to develop a lifelong love of learning. Outside the classroom, I also plan to engage with the community by volunteering my time and skills in educational programs or initiatives that support underserved or disadvantaged groups as well as continue to volunteer with my church. Whether through tutoring, workshops, or mentoring programs, I aim to contribute positively to the educational journey of others and to make a meaningful impact in their lives. I also plan to led my future school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) when I become employed. I fee; that by doing so I will help lead the next generation of church leaders into periods of growth with Jesus. Also, I can mentor to them and help my students to not make the same mistakes I have in my life. Ultimately, my goal is not only to teach academic content but also to instill in students the joy of discovery, the satisfaction of overcoming challenges, and the confidence to pursue their dreams with passion and perseverance. By doing so, I hope to create a ripple effect where my students, inspired by their own learning experiences, continue to positively influence others in their communities and beyond.

In my personal opinion, the idea of "my truth" is an idea created by society as a way to make digs at Christianity. I feel that this phrase was coined as a way for non-believers to try and coerced Christians into leaving the truth of the Bible to be accepted. Also, I feel that the increase presence of this phrase is a leading reason for many of the non-Biblical lifestyles and influences occurring in the world. From a Biblical standpoint the difference between "our truth" and God's truth is sin. We as humans are very sinful people, although we were not created as such. Genesis 3 paints the picture of the fall from the perfection God created humans. In Genesis 3:7 which says, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves," shows the introduction of sin into the world. This is the first time that we see doubt in God and how He created the world. God created Adam and Eve and gave them only one rule, you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But this command was only given to Adam. It was expected for Adam to pass the message onto his counterpart, Eve. As seen in Genesis 3:3 the message got misconstrued. When asked what God said about eating from the trees in the garden of Eden Eve said, " but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” The thing is, God never said they could not touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said they just could not eat from it. Now while this may seem like a meniscal point, I think it just shows how easily man can be swayed and persuaded against God. One current misrepresentation of the Bible is Leviticus 19:28 which says “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." Many Christians see this verse out of context and come to the conclusion that people with tattoos will not go to Heaven. But when this verse is read in context, we as readers and studiers of the Bible see that Moses is referring to marking your body with tattoos for witchcraft and for ceremonial sacrifices to idols. If the conclusion made by reading Leviticus 19:28 out of context was true many of biggest leaders of the faith would not go to Heaven and it would cancel out the truth that the way to eternal life is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of these reasons I believe that it is highly illogical to think that our truth; which is underlying with sin, could ever outweigh God's truth; which is perfect and pure. Therefore, what I think does not matter if it is not backed by what the Bible says.

My name is Abbey. I am going to be a sophomore at Cedarville University. My major is Middle Childhood Education. This means I will graduate with an Ohio teaching license to teach fourth to ninth grade. My concentrations are English and Mathematics. These are the two hardest subjects for children ages 9- 14 to comprehend. I chose these concentrations for that exact reason. I want to impact students in a way that they remember me when times get hard, and they remember how I pushed them to be the best they could be and showed them how to navigate life difficulties healthily. My I will also graduate with a Bible Minor. This is the main reason I chose Cedarville University because I feel that it is essential to be well-equipped with the knowledge and lessons of the Bible before going out into the world to plants seeds for the Lord. I also think it is especially important for my future profession because Middle School is when many students question their beliefs and start exploring religion. Since I will be well-equipped and knowledgeable in the Bible, I will be able to answer any questions that come my way effectively and truthfully. This scholarship will help me be able to finish my degree at Cedarville and help me to keep equipping myself to serve the Lord faithfully while also living like Jesus as an example for my students. Without this scholarship I may have to transfer to a more affordable university.

At some point in everyone’s lives, they feel like they are stuck on the interstate. Whether it is because you have a flat or you ran out of gas, being still while cars and semi-trucks zoom by at 80 miles per hour is a scary feeling. Life as a whole is always moving and does not slow down even when you beg it to. I have experienced this feeling for most of my life and understand the work it takes to bring yourself off the “freeway.” The type of effort where you do not think anything is going to get better and you will be stuck for the rest of your life. At a young age, I wanted to be president. The first female president to be exact. In kindergarten, I was adamant that I would achieve this goal at the ripe old age of 35. Since an election year perfectly fell on the year, I reached the age minimum I decided it was fate and made a list of all the things a good president had to be. By trying to follow this made-up list I became what some would call a teacher’s pet. I kept riding the coattail of being the teacher’s pet well into high school until I met the guidance counselor for the grade above me, Mrs. Miller. At this point, I wanted to be a lawyer. This became my standard answer when asked the age-old question, “What are you going to do after high school?” I was set and planned out this magical life I was going to have. But I left out one major part of my plan, what my undergraduate major was going to be. The problem was that I had been so stuck down the tunnel of focusing on my future I had not been enjoying my teen years and figuring out what I was interested in. Mrs. Miller was caught at the wrong end of an anxiety attack over my future and told me ever so calmly “Stop freaking out about how to become a lawyer, you’re going to be a teacher.” This was the turning point for my life after high school, even though I did not realize it at the moment. Being a teacher was something I was completely against. My aunt is a teacher, and I did not want to be like her and I hated everyone my age my whole life. But as time went on everywhere I turned something was pushing me to teach. Whether this is helping my classmates with their homework or homeschooling my siblings during lockdown God was telling me to just stop fighting and live in my purpose. The life event that sealed the deal was when I visited Cedarville University and visited their education department. The current students were so kind and seemed so happy about being there it put my mind at ease. That was the day I decided I was going to be a teacher one day. So, even though I will not be president I feel that my kindergarten self would agree that I have reached my career goals because I am going to be happy.

At some point in everyone’s lives, they feel like they are stuck on the interstate. Whether it is because you have a flat or you ran out of gas, being completely still while cars and semi-trucks zoom by at 80 miles per hour is a scary feeling. Life as a whole is always moving and does not slow down even when you beg it to. I have experienced this feeling for most of my life and understand the work it takes to bring yourself off the “freeway.” The type of effort where you do not think anything is going to get better and you will be stuck for the rest of your life. I mostly felt this way in middle and high school which is why I am going to college to become a teacher. I really want to teach middle school math because I know that is where many students struggle the most academically. I know that math is probably one of the hardest subjects for most sixth-eighth graders. Also, middle school is a rough time for many students because of the transition from elementary school to middle school and then preparing them for the transition from middle school to high school. Then you throw hormones into the mix, and you have literal chaos. I want to me a constant and a steady place for students to turn to when they experience "freeway" moments because I did not have that while I was undergoing the hot mess express called seventh grade. I had an internship with the middle school I attended my senior year of high school and fell in love day one. I participated in the internship to solidify if I wanted to major in education or do a pre-law track. Well, the thing is I walked in and felt at home. I knew in that moment God was telling me to take the leap and trust Him so that is what I decided to do and have not looked back since. While at my internship I helped students with their math classwork and answered questions about the homework so I empierced firsthand how math teachers specifically inspire the students to do their best and I plan to try and do the same. I also see the frustration in everyone’s faces when the work will not click. Oh, but when a student does gain an "aha" moment it is magical. Witnessing these moments brought me to the realization that there is not much that is constant throughout life, but one thing is math because it is so old you could not change it even if you tried.

At some point in everyone’s lives, they feel like they are stuck on the interstate. Whether it is because you have a flat or you ran out of gas, being still while cars and semi trucks zoom by at 80 miles per hour is a scary feeling. Life as a whole is always moving and does not slow down even when you beg it to. I have experienced this feeling for most of my life and understand the work it takes to bring yourself off the “freeway.” The type of effort where you do not think anything is going to get better and you will be stuck for the rest of your life. I mostly felt this way in middle and high school which is why I am going to college to become a teacher. A middle school teacher to be exact. I think that I will specialize in math since it has always come very easily to me. But, I know that math is probably one of the hardest subjects for most sixth-eighth graders. I already have an internship with the middle school I attended and spend my time helping students with their math classwork so I understand their struggle. I see how math teachers specifically inspire the students to do their best and I plan to try and do the same. I also see the frustration in everyone’s faces when the work will not click. What I have come to learn is that there is not much that is constant throughout life but one thing is math. For example, to solve a two-step equation you first have to undo addition or subtraction then undo multiplication or division. Those steps will not change for the rest of eternity.

At some point in everyone’s lives, they feel like they are stuck on the interstate. Whether it is because you have a flat or you ran out of gas, being still while cars and semi trucks zoom by at 80 miles per hour is a scary feeling. Life as a whole is always moving and does not slow down even when you beg it to. I have experienced this feeling for most of my life and understand the work it takes to bring yourself off the “freeway.” The type of effort where you do not think anything is going to get better and you will be stuck for the rest of your life. I mostly felt this way in middle and high school which is why I am going to college to become a teacher. A middle school teacher to be exact. I think that I will specialize in math since it has always come very easily to me. But, I know that math is probably one of the hardest subjects for most sixth-eighth graders. I already have an internship with the middle school I attended and spend my time helping students with their math classwork so I understand their struggle. I see how math teachers specifically inspire the students to do their best and I plan to try and do the same. I also see the frustration in everyone’s faces when the work will not click. What I have come to learn is that there is not much that is constant throughout life but one thing is math. For example, to solve a two-step equation you first have to undo addition or subtraction then undo multiplication or division. Those steps will not change for the rest of eternity.

Free. This is a fake concept in my book. Nothing in life is ever free. Everything comes at a price. In the United States, our Bill of Rights' first Amendment protects Americans' freedom of religion, press, petition, assembly and supposedly speech. So to me, there is no such thing as free speech in America, especially with social media at our fingertips. My reasoning why I believe that we do not have free speech is because if someone says something that goes against certain groups they become the next victim of cancel culture as well as get banned from many social media sites. So, therefore, if the United States did give its citizens free speech I feel that it would help develop college students intellectually because we could express our true opinion and feeling and have deeper conversations, leading to deeper personal connections. Also, I feel that it would help young adults in college navigate this already difficult time more smoothly. While I think that freedom of speech is an imaginary concept I do believe that the idea of speaking freely is present in the United States and feel that this idea needs protecting. The preservation of this right is essential because it keeps individuality flowing and provides an environment where people can disagree and come to a better solution. Also, if we as Americans had to censor what we say it would no longer be a democracy and would become more like a dictatorship. My field of study is middle childhood education. This field, while intimidating, can help blossom the idea of free speech because middle school is the time in a child's life when they start deciding what kind of person they want to be. Also, as a teacher, allowing at least in my classroom freedom of speech can help bring students to feel comfortable with bringing different ideas forward and allowing class discussions. This as a whole can help develop students understanding of each other and further help them respect differing opinions and ideas early on. This allows students to be able to go into the adult world without shutting down others for being different from them and allows individuality to prosper and would help others to speak freely more often. Overall, my field of study helps build the next generation into the people we need for future generations. Furthermore, instilling the true meaning of freedom of speech into future generations.

Ever since elementary school once September rolls around we as a generation have been taught about 9/11. About how around 8:45 in the morning the first plane hit the North Twin Tower and fifteen minutes later the second one hit the South Tower. In addition to these two planes the school system talked about the plane that hit the Pentagon. But, up until the 8th grade I was unaware that there was another flight hijacked that day, Flight 93. For those who do not know this was the plane that the passengers took back and landed in Pennsylvania. These are the people from history that I admire most. These people woke up on the morning of September the 11th the same as everyone else. But, they left that day true hero’s in my book and the best part about them is that they knew they were going to die either way and they still chose to overtake their hijackers and fight back. I, as well as everyone else in the United States of America believe that 9/11 was one of the worst days for our country. People as a whole tend to look at bad events and write off all the good that happened that day and how bad situations can turn to heroic moments. Flight 93 is one of those unrecognized moments to me. Even through the pain and hardship and knowing that they were not going to make it off that plane they still chose other peoples lives over their own and for that they are the group of people I admire the most from history.

I have always been at the top of my graduating class and qualified for the gifted program at my school in elementary school. My entire life I have been told I am the brightest in the room. Everything school related came pretty easy to me. But then, once I hit high school there were people smarter than me. I quickly realized that I was not in fact the smartest in any room I have ever been in. I was always just the most determined and academically driven one in the room. I would say that the biggest problem in the world at the moment is laziness. No one wants to work for what they have and expects people to hand them everything. Especially when things get difficult. They immediately give up and quit with the excuse I will never be the best. But, they never truly put in the effort to be the best. The only way to achieve being the best is spending the long hours and all of your free time perfecting it. For me that was going home each day reading and researching everything there was to know about whatever I needed more information on. But, for others it may be practicing your soccer shot, exercising more, asking for help, etc. Whatever you do to make yourself the best do it to the best of your ability and do not slack off because you will never see results sitting at home eating potato chips and chugging a speedy freeze.