I feel as if I'm too ambitious for everyone around me. That it both holds me back and pushes me forward to become better than I ever could've imagined. Regardless of how tired I become, I always push through it and never give up. I never give up because I know that each addition to my resume gives me a better chance to achieve my goals. Despite the many challenges, including the many people who do not understand my need to be better, pursuing a college education and becoming an educator has always been my goal and nothing can take my ambition away. Going to college was a big dream of mine. While the others around me wanted to be a pop-star or an astronaut, I dreamed about college. The media I consumed influenced much of what I thought about and since most of what I watched were college students, I thought attending was the best thing I could ever do. I wanted to experience dorm life and professors. My parents always pushed me to go because I would be a first generation college student, but I kept pushing myself to make my younger self happier. I joined many programs, like JROTC and STEP, and I was a high achieving student to make that dream possible. Many people don't understand that the dream is a personal dream and not what is expected from me. When I was younger, I was scared of growing old too quickly, I was scared of the future and I was scared that I wouldn't know what to become. I had a life planned out for myself so that I would never have to struggle through not knowing what to do. Now, I feel as if there is too much to do and I don't have enough time. I have dreams of becoming a poet, a fashion designer, a college student, and becoming a teacher. Poetry and fashion design are both mediums where I could express myself the most but teaching others, despite how simple many people believe it is for someone who has done so much, has always been my biggest dream, bigger than the rest. I've wanted to teach others since I was a little girl, I knew it was something I wanted to do and helping others learn is a passion of mine. I like when other people can confide in me and rely on the information that I can provide. Being in charge of an entire class period during high school has made me realize that it is what I want to continue doing. I thought about quitting multiple times but always come back to wanting to teach others, not only to make my younger self happier, but also because I genuinely enjoy spreading knowledge to others. Education is a field that is undermined because it is everywhere, we forget how important it is to be educated. There are many women who fight for the chance to learn and go to school. We take advantage of it but it doesn’t take away from the importance of education. The people who have underestimated me, or become disappointed when I tell them I want to teach for a living is the reason that it becomes a “Pie in the Sky” dream. Teaching is my dream but I have made myself too ambitious and scared that they might be right. Regardless, I will continue to pursue it because it is something that I want to do, no matter what other dreams I may have that others consider as “more valuable.”

I always knew I wanted to become a teacher. I had my heart set on it since I was in elementary school. It didn't matter to me how much others tried to discourage me from it, because I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I looked up to my teachers and wholeheartedly wanted to be just like them. Every time they pushed me forward, I knew it was because they believed I could achieve more. They would support me through my struggles. I would not have gotten far in my life if it weren't for the educators who pushed me to do it. They have influenced every part of my life, and I want to pass that on to my own students in the future. Teachers have a significant influence, especially on young children. During my junior year, I became in charge of a class of 20 people in JROTC. I taught them what they needed to know for that class and grew attached to them. It was difficult at times because there were many cadets that refused to communicate, there were some who refused to participate. There was also a language barrier that I would translate for the others. Regardless, I pushed each of them because I knew they could do better. My cadets are now regarded as some of the best in the battalion. They helped me realize that I wanted to continue to teach others so I could continue to feel the same sense of pride that I did when they succeeded. Success looks different to other people; seeing them reach their different levels of success made me feel proud of them. I witnessed my own influence on other people, and I knew I wanted to continue doing that for others. I believe that education is the most important thing a child can receive. It gives them hopes and an ability to pursue their passions, or learn what that passion might be. I am grateful for every educator that helped me realize that I wanted to continue teaching. I am also grateful to every educator that shared their own passions with me, whether it be artistic, or a part of the stem field because it gave me the choice to branch out to other career paths, although I knew I wouldn’t pursue it. Earning this scholarship can help me pay for my own education and pursue the ability to educate others, therefore influencing their lives. I do not know Sergeant Lennon personally, but I have researched him. He has influenced every person he has met, he has touched the hearts of many. I know this because of the many people who still talk about him and share the memories they had with them. I do not want to join the marines, but I want to influence the people in my life, the same way that Sergeant Lennon has, but through education instead.