Growing up in a large homeschool family with nine siblings, ‘doing school’ in our living room with my mother was a normal occurrence. When our school day was over, I would often sit all my younger siblings down and make them play school, much to their dismay! I have always enjoyed teaching and leading young children. Sadly, in 2019, my life changed forever when my two-year-old sister was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. She endured harsh treatments for over a year before succumbing to the disease. After she died, I struggled with being at home and missing her. I asked to go to public school, and my parents agreed, allowing me to enroll in the local middle school. This opened up a world I had not known before, and one I didn’t handle very well. In 6th and 7th grade, I was not only dealing with grief, but I also struggled with choosing friends who were not positive influences in my life. Then, one day, my ELA teacher told us we would be reading "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pies," a book about a sibling diagnosed with cancer. I was not excited because at that time, I hated reading. However, Mrs. C., my teacher, personally came to me and said that if at any point I felt overwhelmed by the book's content and needed to step out of class, she would be completely fine with it. When we started reading the book, I instantly fell in love with the main character. I was so excited to listen to her read it and was fully engaged in the story. The character Steven was exactly like me. His feelings reflected what I had experienced during my sister’s cancer journey. Finally, someone understood the pain and heartache I had gone through. I no longer felt isolated and alone. By forcing me to read when it was the last thing I wanted to do, especially a book that touched the hurting places of my heart, Mrs. C allowed me to start processing my grief over losing my sister. Since that time, I have desired to become a teacher so that I can make an impact on children's lives, much as Mrs. C. did on mine. In preparation for the future, I am currently a teacher’s aide in the third-grade classroom and tutor students in the after-school program. I have led elementary cheer clinics at both my high school and a local cheer gym, working with children whenever possible. I have been accepted at East Central University with the plan to pursue an elementary education degree and then apply to teach in our local public school. Mrs. C not only changed my life academically, but more importantly, she reached out as an educator who truly cares about her students. Her willingness to truly see and care about her students shows her deep commitment to her job. I’m so grateful that she changed my life for the better!

Some of my fondest memories with my big brother are watching Sabrina Carpenter play Maya Hart on "Girl Meets World." Though I was only 7 at the time, he is eleven years older than me. He spent many hours watching teenage shows, while we little sisters joined in. Sabrina's character in the show was such a wholesome girl, engaging to watch, and making you feel like you were right there with her. I looked up to the kids on that show for many years. When my brother got married at 19, he asked me to be one of his flower girls in the wedding. The wedding party was huge! We have 9 siblings total and my sister-in-law has 11 in her family. Brother's and sisters filled the church as Groomsmen, ring bearers, bridesmaids, and flower girls. One brother sang, while the tiniest baby sister was carried down the aisle by our mom. At the end of the wedding, the song they chose to exit was, you guessed it, "Take on the World" by Sabrina Carpenter and Rowen Blanchard. The opening lines sing: I've been waitin' For a day like this to come Struck like lightnin' My heart's beatin' like a drum On the edge of somethin' wonderful That song summed up his new married life, waiting with anticipation and excitement for what is coming. That same song sums up how I feel as I complete high school, get married, and begin college, all with in the next 6 months. I'm on the "edge of somethin' wonderful!"

Cancer never affects just one person; instead, when someone is diagnosed with cancer, their entire family is involved. When I was eleven, my two-year-old sister was diagnosed with Stage 4, High Risk Neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. Being a young girl myself, I didn’t know what that big word meant. I didn’t realize what was happening when my sister went to the hospital, what pain she was enduring, or that she could get so sick that she wouldn't be able to come back home. I had no clue that she could die from cancer. When COVID-19 exploded, our family wasn’t allowed any more hospital visits. Only one parent was allowed to sit at my sister’s bedside. It was a very confusing, lonely time, and I could not shake the feeling of isolation. A few months later, my three-year-old sister came home walking, playing, and laughing, but three weeks later, she died in my mom’s arms. Of course, it was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. Because of this heartbreaking loss, I became deeply depressed and struggled with a lot of anxiety. Death had changed our family forever. From 6th to 8th grade, I struggled heavily in school and chose friends who were not positive influences in my life. Then, one day, my teacher told us we would be reading a book called Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pies. I hated reading, but my teacher came to me personally and said that if, at any point, I felt overwhelmed by the book's content and needed to step out of class, she'd be okay with it. Once we started reading the book, I fell in love and became completely engaged in the story. I felt like the character Steven, whose sibling also had cancer, was exactly like me. All his feelings mirrored what I had felt during my sister’s journey. I finally felt as if someone understood the pain and heartache I had experienced. Finally, I did not feel alone. There was one particular moment in the book that deeply impacted my life and helped me work through my grief. It was when Steven went to the counselor for help. The counselor told him to stop focusing on what he can’t change and start focusing on what he can. That advice changed my perspective. I couldn’t help that my sister died, but I could focus on all the lives she impacted through her passing. I have eight siblings, and although each one of them probably felt the same as I did, I never felt fully understood by anyone. I felt as if my feelings about my sister were not valid, but through this book, I discovered that others experience the same feelings. Death affects the entire family, causing feelings of isolation, depression, grief, loss of family time and structure, and so much heartache. It steals our future together, and the trauma numbs our past memories. If we look for the positive ways it affects us, we realize it changes our perspective on the value of life. It helps us avoid taking anything for granted. It also shapes our future decisions, such as educational and career choices. Remembering what I went through, I knew I wanted to help other children by becoming an elementary teacher. Although it may be hard to work with young children after my sister passed away, I want to teach them how to enjoy learning, giving them the opportunity my sister never had. There are many things death tried to steal from me, but I am a survivor!