My interest in pursuing a career in teaching is deeply personal. While I have always valued education, it was watching my daughter last year that solidified my calling. She struggled with reading and writing due to dyslexia, and for a long time, her confidence was fragile. Then she met Miss Stephenson, her composition teacher. For the first time in years, my daughter felt truly seen and loved by an educator. Miss Stephenson’s empathy was rooted in personal experience—she had a dyslexic brother and understood, in ways few others could, the unique challenges my daughter faced. She went above and beyond in every interaction: providing hand-written study guides with clear diagrams, writing encouraging notes on graded assignments, and consistently highlighting my daughter’s strengths. Through this support, my daughter began to believe in her own abilities. I watched her face light up as she said, “I used my big brain… I am smart.” That simple, triumphant statement captured the power of teaching done with love, patience, and understanding. That teacher changed my daughter’s life—and in doing so, inspired mine. I want to leave that same impact on children’s lives. My professional and personal experiences have prepared me for this path. As a reading interventionist and a nationally licensed special education advocate, I work every day with neurodivergent learners, helping students with dyslexia and other learning differences develop confidence, skills, and a love of learning. I have seen how evidence-based instruction, paired with relational support, can transform a child’s academic trajectory and sense of self. Teaching, for me, is not just a career—it is a way to advocate, empower, and uplift students who may feel unseen. My goal is to create classrooms where every student feels valued, understood, and capable, regardless of their challenges. I want to be the teacher who leaves a lasting imprint on a child’s confidence, curiosity, and belief in themselves—just as Miss Stephenson did for my daughter. Witnessing the transformative effect of compassionate, knowledgeable teaching has inspired me to pursue this career with dedication and purpose. I aspire to be the kind of teacher who not only instructs but also nurtures the whole child, creating a safe, encouraging environment where students can grow academically, emotionally, and personally. Through continued study and service, I hope to contribute to a future where every child has access to the instruction and support they need to reach their full potential. My goal is to continue advancing my education in special education and cognitive neuroscience so that I can expand access to structured, research-based literacy instruction and advocate for earlier identification of learning differences. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn to read, to feel capable in the classroom, and to experience the dignity that comes from being understood and supported. My work is dedicated to helping ensure that no child is left waiting for failure before receiving the help they need to succeed.

My path to higher education at this stage in my life has been shaped by both professional experience and deeply personal challenges that revealed a new sense of purpose. I began my career as an engineering analyst for a Fortune 500 energy company, where I developed strong analytical and problem-solving skills. When my husband and I began our family, I stepped away from that career to raise our three daughters, believing that the most important work I could do at that time was within my own home. It was during this season of life that I discovered the calling that would ultimately lead me back to higher education. When one of my daughters began kindergarten, she struggled significantly with reading. As we searched for answers, we encountered an educational system that often required students to demonstrate prolonged academic failure before qualifying for testing or support. Watching her confidence slowly fade while we waited for help was heartbreaking. Determined to understand what was happening, we pursued a comprehensive private evaluation and learned she had dyslexia. That diagnosis began a long journey of advocacy—navigating school evaluations, learning the legal framework of special education, and fighting to ensure she received appropriate intervention. Through specialized reading therapy grounded in the science of reading, we saw firsthand how evidence-based instruction could transform a struggling reader into a confident learner. At the same time, I became acutely aware that many families lack the knowledge, time, or financial resources to access these supports. That realization profoundly shaped my values and redirected my career path. Over the past several years, I have dedicated myself to studying dyslexia, learning differences, and the neuroscience of reading. I returned to education as both a teacher and an advocate, and today I serve as a reading interventionist working primarily with neurodivergent learners. I also hold a national advocacy license specializing in Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and Section 504 compliance, which allows me to help families understand and navigate the educational system so their children receive the services they deserve. Pursuing further higher education will allow me to deepen my expertise in special education and cognitive neuroscience, strengthening my ability to provide effective intervention and advocate for systemic change. My goal is to expand access to early, evidence-based literacy instruction and promote earlier identification of learning differences so that students receive support before academic struggles erode their confidence. Community service is central to this mission. Whether working directly with students, guiding parents through the complexities of special education law, or advocating for stronger instructional practices in schools, I am committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. This scholarship would allow me to continue my education while balancing the financial responsibilities of supporting my family. More importantly, it would support my ability to continue serving students and families who need knowledgeable advocates and educators. My journey has shown me that education has the power not only to transform individual lives but also to strengthen entire communities. Through continued study and service, I hope to contribute to a future where every child has access to the instruction and support they need to reach their full potential.

My journey into education began in an unexpected place: engineering. After training as an engineering analyst and working for a Fortune 500 energy company, I stepped away from my career to raise my three daughters. When they began school, my personal and professional worlds intersected in a way that permanently reshaped my path and purpose. One of my daughters struggled significantly when she began learning to read. As we searched for answers, we encountered a system that often required students to “fail long enough” before qualifying for evaluation and support. Watching her confidence fade while we waited for help was heartbreaking. Determined to understand what was happening, we pursued a comprehensive private evaluation and learned she had dyslexia. That diagnosis marked the beginning of a long journey through the complexities of the educational system—navigating school evaluations, advocating for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and seeking effective intervention. During this time, our daughter began working with a Certified Academic Language Therapist who used structured, science-based reading instruction. For the first time, we saw instruction aligned with how the brain actually learns to read. Slowly, the child who once believed she was not capable began to regain confidence and find success. While this transformation was encouraging, it also revealed a troubling reality: many families lack the knowledge, time, or financial resources to pursue outside testing or specialized intervention. Access to effective support should never depend on a family’s ability to navigate a complicated system or pay for private services. That realization fundamentally changed the direction of my life. Over the past six years, I have dedicated myself to studying dyslexia, learning differences, and the neuroscience of reading. I returned to education and now serve as a reading interventionist working primarily with neurodivergent learners, particularly students with dyslexia. In addition, I hold a national advocacy license specializing in IEP and Section 504 compliance, which allows me to support families as they navigate the educational system and ensure students receive the services they are legally entitled to receive. Through my work, I focus on providing early, evidence-based literacy intervention while also empowering families with the knowledge needed to advocate effectively for their children. I believe that when students receive appropriate instruction early, they not only improve academically but also develop confidence in their ability to learn. My goal is to continue advancing my education in special education and cognitive neuroscience so that I can expand access to structured, research-based literacy instruction and advocate for earlier identification of learning differences. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn to read, to feel capable in the classroom, and to experience the dignity that comes from being understood and supported. My work is dedicated to helping ensure that no child is left waiting for failure before receiving the help they need to succeed.

Experiencing a sense of one’s own presence means recognizing that one’s thoughts, efforts, and identity have value within the learning environment. For many students with special needs—particularly those with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia—school can unintentionally communicate the opposite message. When students repeatedly struggle with tasks that appear easy for others, they may begin to internalize harmful beliefs about their intelligence or worth. Helping students experience their own presence means restoring their sense of agency, belonging, and confidence as learners. From a cognitive perspective, this sense of presence is closely tied to self-efficacy and neurological engagement. Neuroscience research shows that learning occurs most effectively when students feel safe, supported, and capable of growth. When stress and repeated failure activate the brain’s threat response, cognitive resources shift away from higher-level thinking and toward survival mechanisms. Conversely, when instruction is structured, explicit, and responsive to how the brain learns, students can experience success that strengthens both neural pathways and personal confidence. My mission as a special education teacher is to create learning environments where students feel seen, supported, and equipped with the tools necessary to succeed. This begins with building strong relationships and understanding each student’s individual learning profile. When students know their teacher values their strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds, they begin to recognize that they belong in the classroom community. Equally important is providing instruction aligned with the science of reading and other evidence-based practices. Research in cognitive neuroscience demonstrates that the brain is not naturally wired for reading; instead, reading requires the integration of multiple neural systems related to language, visual recognition, and phonological processing. Structured literacy instruction explicitly teaches these connections, allowing students—particularly those with dyslexia—to build the neural pathways necessary for fluent reading. As students experience incremental success through explicit instruction, guided practice, and supportive feedback, their perception of themselves begins to change. They move from viewing challenges as evidence of failure to understanding them as part of the learning process. Encouraging student voice, reflection, and celebration of progress further strengthens this sense of presence by reinforcing that each learner’s effort and perspective matter. Ultimately, my goal is to help students rewrite the internal narratives they may have developed about themselves. Rather than believing they are incapable, students begin to understand that their brains simply learn differently—and that with the right instruction and support, they are fully capable of growth and achievement. When students feel both understood and empowered, they begin to experience their own presence in powerful ways. They move from silence and self-doubt to participation, curiosity, and confidence in their ability to learn. Optional Fairy Tale Once upon a time, in a quiet village school, there lived many children who believed they were invisible. Letters twisted and sounds tangled when they tried to read, and the harder they tried, the more the words seemed to slip away. Slowly, they began to believe the whispers that they were not meant to be readers. One day, a teacher arrived carrying a lantern. The lantern did not chase away darkness with brightness alone—it revealed patterns hidden in the shadows. She showed the children how sounds connected to letters, how words were built piece by piece, and how their minds could learn through practice and patience. At first, the path seemed difficult, but each small step strengthened the children’s confidence. The letters stopped dancing. Words began to stay still. The children who once believed they were invisible discovered something extraordinary: the light had always been within them. The teacher had only helped them learn how to see it.

My path to special education began long before I formally stepped into a classroom. I was originally trained as an engineering analyst and worked for a Fortune 500 energy company. When my husband and I started our family, I chose to stay home to raise our daughters. What I did not expect was that my own child’s learning journey would fundamentally reshape my career and my purpose. At the beginning of kindergarten, one of our daughters began struggling in ways that did not make sense. Slowly, I watched the light in her eyes begin to fade as she internalized messages that she was not as capable as her peers. We were repeatedly told she needed to “score lower longer” before the school would consider testing. Yet everything we were reading suggested early intervention was critical. Eventually, we sought a full educational evaluation through an outside psychiatrist and discovered that she had dyslexia. That diagnosis began a long and difficult journey through the educational system: navigating accommodations, advocating for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and learning how to access appropriate reading interventions. Because the district testing process moved slowly, we enrolled our daughter in specialized reading therapy with a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT). For the first time, we saw instruction grounded in the science of reading—and we saw it work. What I learned through that process was both empowering and troubling. Even when schools provide services through an IEP, those services are not always aligned with evidence-based practices proven to support students with dyslexia. Access to effective intervention often depends on resources families may not have. I realized that if our family had not been able to seek outside testing and therapy, our daughter might still be struggling to read today. That realization changed the trajectory of my life. Over the past six years, I have immersed myself in research on dyslexia, learning differences, intervention therapies, and the neuroscience of reading. I returned to school to expand my expertise and became both a teacher and a nationally licensed special education advocate specializing in IEP and 504 compliance. Today, I serve as a reading interventionist working primarily with neurodivergent learners, particularly students with dyslexia. My experiences have shaped my belief that effective instruction must be both evidence-based and deeply relational. I strive to truly know my students—their cultures, languages, interests, and learning needs—so that instruction can be meaningful and responsive. Through ongoing communication with families and informal interactions with students beyond the classroom, I continue learning about the experiences that shape how they approach school and learning. At the core of my philosophy is the belief that every child deserves to be seen, valued, and supported. I view each learner as a child of God, worthy of patience, dignity, and opportunity. Meaningful learning happens when students feel safe, known, and encouraged to grow. My daughter’s journey is my “why.” I never want another child to believe they are unintelligent simply because their brain learns differently. I continue to advocate for earlier identification, stronger instructional practices, and systems that respond to students’ needs rather than forcing them to fail long enough to qualify for help. My goal as a special education teacher is not only to support individual students but also to contribute to systemic change—so that one day every child, regardless of background or resources, has access to the instruction they need to learn how to read and to believe in their own ability to succeed.