I have been involved in the dispersion and deepening of academic knowledge since my sophomore year of high school. Through participation in organizations ranging from Mu Alpha Theta, to the Boys and Girls Club, to Science National Honors Society, and even direct volunteer positions through Clarke County schools, I have spread kindness, compassion, and knowledge to all I have encountered. One of my most memorable positive interactions would have to be with a young girl in her second year of high school, who was enrolled in one of my programs that specifically caters to students who struggle academically. This particular student happens to be what I would consider to be a very bright young lady, but due to her struggles with academics, due to ADHD and the feedback she has always received because of it, she often feels inequipped to handle the situations she is presented with in her classes. I have been working with this student for a full academic year at this point, and can still remember back to our first day together, on which her teachers and principals warned me of what they perceived to be her lack of focus or concern for her school work. After meeting her myself that day, it was clear that this was not the case. My student was not struggling because she lacked the means to succeed, but simply because she had always been told that she never could. Teachers for the entirety of her academic career had pushed her through their classes, passing her on concepts she had no grasp of, building no foundational knowledge for her, and in many cases, even doing her work for her under the guise of help. Through working with my student one-on-one for a series of months, I began to realize that she could contribute much more focus to her work when she was receiving encouragement to understand, rather than simply to forcefully complete the work she did not yet grasp. Further, as we conquered more subjects together, I also began to realize that she needed much less constant interaction and “hints” than her teachers had previously conveyed, and that when she was left to tackle her challenges with a silent support and belief, she could conquer much more than even she believed herself capable of. She began to realize that even without reassurances and guidance, when truly taught a subject, she was in fact capable of executing the knowledge which she had obtained. After a full year of working with her, my students' grades had improved drastically, and the amount of missing work that she brought to our sessions continually dwindled. By the end of the year, the two of us had developed a relationship of trust and support, in which she told me of the growth in confidence in her own abilities she had experienced, and the improvement in her academics that had resulted. In talking with her teachers again at the end of the school year, I conveyed to them her growth, and the tactics which we use in our sessions that proved most helpful to her success, and was pleased to find that many of her teachers had noticed the changes she was making, which had further resulted in their treatment of her as a competent student, only increasing her confidence and abilities. To have been a part, and to continue being a part of this student's life and academic journey, has been amazing, and to see such substantial and sustained growth has been an honor and a privilege that I could not be more proud to already be contributing to.

My name is Anna Deaton, and I am a first-generation student living in the Southern United States and pursuing a degree in Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia. Being the first in my family to obtain a college degree is a testimony to the beautiful family and community that I have had over the years, who have encouraged me to succeed even when it was hard. To be the first in my family means progress, it means the promise of a future, and it means growth. Further, being the first in my family means that hard work and drive can get you anywhere, and are the stepping stones for the greatest successes of our time. To know that through the efforts of myself and those who came before me I am now able to attend college, I am bolstered and driven knowing that these efforts led to my opportunities, and that my own drive and ambition is an action that justifies that hard work, and will lead to the betterment of the generations that follow me. I view my ability to attend college as the gateway to my impact on the world, as well as evidence of my ability to continue to succeed. In such an ever-evolving society as the one we live in today, knowledge is one of the greatest forms of power, and I believe that by pursuing and disseminating that knowledge, I will be able to contribute to a world that grows for the better. In college, I hope to continue pursuing my bachelor’s in Mathematics Education while minoring in Mathematics, and further hope to earn both a master’s and a specialist’s degree focusing on honors education in addition to my bachelor’s throughout my educational career. Additionally, throughout my college experience, I hope to pursue involvement in a variety of clubs and organizations, many of which focus on academic excellence, as well as community involvement. I am currently engaged in high school math tutoring in the Athens-Clarke County area, and meet with a variety of students weekly to engage in learning and studying for all high school levels of math, and through these interactions, I am only further inspired to continue pursuing the opportunities that my family worked so hard to provide for me. I grew up as an honors-identified child and know the discrepancies in educational experience and achievement expectations felt by honors students, and I aspire to create relationships built by guiding students to knowledge and happiness, both inside and outside of the classroom. It is my dream to create an environment in which students feel safe, normal, successful, and supported, rather than as if they are an expected outcome of the label they hold. My long-term goals include creating math involvement groups within my school communities, including peer tutoring and study groups, "mathlete" clubs, and school-wide spaces for fun mathematics applications. These ambitions have arisen through my involvement within my communities where I have seen the impact that these spaces can create, and I have great ambitions to further the outreach of groups such as the ones I have previously been a part of, all in the hopes of advancing adolescent mathematical concept understanding, and creating a pool of knowledge from which my students feel safe requesting knowledge from. Throughout my experiences, I have seen the impact that is caused when students feel judged in their academic environments, and the long-term implications that those feelings can have, and it is my goal to create school environments in which children truly are "not left behind.”

Throughout chapter 2 of "Real Insights," John Graff highlights tips and things to expect when going into a new career, and while he focuses on the real estate industry, I believe his teachings can be widely applicable and lend insight into my own future career as a high school math teacher. Firstly in this section, Graff highlights how to prepare for a new career, and discusses the impact of education regarding your desired career, as well as unrealistic expectations of the environment in which you will work. Graff describes that in many cases, incoming workers have unrealistic expectations which are met with truths of exceptional variation, causing a large gap in support and leaving workers feeling unprepared and stranded in their new jobs. I feel as a future educator that it is important for me to have a clear and levelheaded expectation of what it is truly like to work with administrations in public schools, and to understand that while many schools may offer a myriad of support, that is not a luxury that I am assured. For many first year teachers especially, this feeling of abandonment can cause a swift change in career paths that leaves the teacher shortage in continual crisis, which is further support towards Graff's encouragement of education, which he claims is one of the keys to avoiding surprise and mistakes when first starting a new career. Additionally, in this chapter Graff also discusses the importance of relationship building, and encourages readers to determine their target audience, and decide on a message you would like to get across to them. In my future field I believe that this will be an invaluable skill for me, as I will be working with students, parents, faculty, and administration each and every day, and it will be important for me to choose my priorities from the beginning, and establish well constructed bonds with my students to encourage engagement. Graff highlights that you should be eager to make the first contact, and I believe this holds true in teaching, whether with students or parents, you want to reach out first and establish a positive and open line of communication before problems arise on either end. Finally, Graff emphasizes the role of mistakes within the job, and solaces new workers in the knowledge that they are not recreating the wheel, and mistakes are simply learning opportunities. I feel as though this advice is widely applicable through life, and no matter where you fall, you must know that each step is progress, whether forward or backwards, and that there are those who have come before you down the same path. This outlook not only encourages one to keep moving in spite of roadblocks, but also considerably changes the connotations of mistakes in general, changing them from evidence of failure to evidence of effort. Graff's encouragement and advice throughout this chapter are largely applicable ideas, and when one is looking for it, they hold true in aspects of all of our lives.

In the past few years, and especially within the last twelve months as I have been on my own at college, my relationship with the Lord has exploded in the best way, and has changed every feeling of anxiety or stress in my life into a feeling of “peace that makes no sense.” I have found a community and friends that strive for their own relationships with God, and with their help I have thrown myself into church, have bought and habitually used a journal Bible, and have intentionally cultivated a personal relationship with the Lord. I no longer question His presence, or the depth of my faith, but instead in all things I see Jesus and turn to Him, for He is chasing after us just as hard as He wants us to be chasing after Him. As my relationship with the Lord has bloomed, it has changed my entire life, and has made it clear to me just how much love, forgiveness, grace, and kindness is waiting right there for any of us to take hold of, if only we are brave enough to believe in Him. Further, as I have experienced all of these joyous blessings, I feel I have grown more compassionate myself, and have turned to prayer in all of my interactions with others, for any needs either they or I may have. I have been slowly working towards the kind of godly woman that I hope to become, and each and every day strive to identify where I have fallen short, in order to take solace in the Lord and make better decisions next time. Through my relationship with the Lord, I feel I have been called to serve and to be light to those of the next generation, which I have chosen to do through a degree in Mathematics Education that I am currently pursuing at the University of Georgia. I feel deeply that my future presence in the educational field will place me in a position to work with students of all risk levels whose lives I can truly change and be a role model for. In addition to my calling from the Lord, interactions with my own past teachers and club organizations have encouraged me to pursue my current field of study. I have spent the past 4 years volunteering to tutor high school students in math, and have been beyond overjoyed to see the impact that one-on-one help was able to provide to my tutees. Further, my own math teachers throughout both high school and my first year of college have only increased my interest in the field, as they have been exceptional teachers and role models for all of their students, and encourage growth in both students' academic and extracurricular lives. As I continue to pursue my higher education, I will continue to lean on those who have led me here, and will be forever grateful to my family, my teachers, and the Lord for the support that I have found for my chosen path in life.

My name is Anna Deaton, and I am an eighteen year-old Christian living in a small town in North Georgia just outside of the outskirts of Metro-Atlanta. As a child I grew up in church with my family and had a true relationship with God, always knowing who He was, however, as I grew older and was drawn further into the world, my relationship with the Lord became shallow. While I always had a faith, I gradually grew out of good habits such as attending church, or bringing God up in conversation, or reading my Bible, or praying in a personal way. As life continued on, I began to realize this change, and the hole that it was leaving in my heart, and the uncertainty that I felt when apart from the Lord. In the past few years, and especially within the last twelve months as I have been on my own at college, my relationship with the Lord has exploded in the best way, and has changed every feeling of anxiety or stress in my life, into a feeling of “peace that makes no sense.” I have found a community and friends that strive for their own relationships with God, and with their help I have thrown myself back into church, have bought and habitually used a journal Bible, and have once again found a personal relationship with the Lord. I no longer question His presence, or the depth of my faith, but instead in all things I see Jesus and turn to Him, for He is chasing after us just as hard as He wants us to be chasing after Him. As my relationship with the Lord has bloomed, it has changed my entire life, and has made it clear to me just how much love, forgiveness, grace, and kindness is waiting right there for any of us to take hold of, if only we are brave enough to believe in Him. Further, as I have experienced all of these joyous blessings, I feel I have grown more compassionate myself, and have turned to prayer in all of my interactions with others, for any needs either they or I may have. I have been slowly working towards the kind of godly woman that I hope to become, and each and every day strive to identify where I have fallen short, in order to take solace in the Lord and make better decisions next time. My career aspirations, which I believe have stemmed from my relationship with God and His calling on my life to reach others, are to be a Secondary Education Teacher of Mathematics. I intend to pursue a specialist's degree in my field of study, and hope to be both honors certified and AP certified by the time I complete my educational endeavors. To earn my desired level of degree, I will be attending school for 5 more years including my upcoming sophomore year of my bachelors degree. By being awarded this scholarship, not only would I be relieved of a significant portion of my future educational expenses, but I would further be granted the luxury of focusing wholeheartedly on my pursuit of my degrees, all in the hopes of following the path that the Lord has for my life. Moreover, the awarding of this scholarship would allow me the freedom to pursue my ambition past my current goal of a specialists degree, which would provide me opportunities to create a much larger impact, and to have a voice in both the educational and higher mathematics fields. With the completion of my education, I hope to continue to be an impactful voice within my communities educational settings, and to be an educator who my students look up to and trust. Through my career I hope not only to change instructional techniques and applications for the better, but to inspire my students, both academically and as people, so that they may go out into the world better for it, and create their own lasting impacts. Outside of my future career, I have lifetime aspirations to be a wife, a mother, a homeowner, an involved member of my church and community, and a light in the lives of those around me. Many of these aspirations require work, sacrifice, and love. I hope to be successful enough within my career, and at peace enough with myself, that I have total freedom to devote myself to these future endeavors, and that my actions may change the lives of those around me. Related to my career goals I have spent the last 4 years actively volunteering within my communities, and hope to have the future financial and time related freedom to continue these endeavors. Through actions I have been a part of, I have seen change in schools and neighborhoods that have been long since desperately needed. Being a part of such impactful movements has only further inspired me and reassured me of God's plan for my life. Additionally, if I were to be awarded this scholarship and be granted the freedom to pursue my ambitions wholeheartedly, then it is also my hope that the resulting experience and drive which I will be given the opportunity to exert will prepare me for my future endeavors, and any sacrifice which they may expect from me. With my future so full of opportunity and ambitions, I can only lean on God, and know that whatever His plan may be for me, that He will provide wholeheartedly at just the time I need, for He is never late and never early. As I continue to hold on to these truths, I lean on the Lord each and every day, knowing that this is not a life we can live without Him, and asking Him for the strength, the opportunity, and the support needed to succeed and follow the perfect plan that He has for me. As an academic, I approach everything as an opportunity to learn, for as it is stated in 2 Peter 1:5-7, “ add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” All things work together for the glory of God.

My name is Anna Deaton, and I am a student from the Metro Atlanta area. I grew up in a county of Title 1 schools and am now a current sophomore at the University of Georgia. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree with a major in Mathematics Education and a minor in Mathematics. Throughout my education, I intend to pursue a specialist degree and hope to become a teacher of the mathematics that I will be learning. Since I was a child, I have always found incredible interest and joy in discovering and sharing knowledge; whether through reading and enjoying stories, or by teaching and quizzing my little brother on the math that I was learning in school. Mathematics is the key to understanding the universe; it is in our DNA, the structural composition of our molecules, and in the statistical probability of life existing at all. Through math, I have been able to connect with others and help them to better their lives, both academically and extracurricularly. As I continue to pursue a presence within the mathematics field, I hope to be able to change lives with the knowledge that I obtain, apply, and disseminate. Further, I hope to be able to collaborate with other like-minded individuals to combine the efforts of analytical brains in order to advance the future in the most innovative and beneficial ways possible. Knowledge has historically brought people together, and I hope to continue that legacy with my presence in both the educational and mathematical fields. In goals that I have already begun pursuing, I hope to bring a new wave of mathematical appreciation into the public school system. I was involved in a math club and tutoring program for three of my high school years, and through the efforts of our club students were able to engage with peers, develop a deeper understanding of math outside of the classroom, and to advance their academics in a positive direction, allowing them the freedom to pursue their own extracurricular passions. In my future schools, I hope to implement this same form of peer engagement and academic advancement, as it provides a source of information that many students are never able to truly experience, and further provides a setting in which students are able to develop their social and leadership skills, resulting in a positive outcome for all students involved, and a deeper connectivity throughout the school population. Additionally, I have continued my outreach past my high school years, and now actively volunteer in Athens Clarke County Schools to work with struggling students. The students studying under me have graduated and started pursuing careers in all fields, including business entrepreneurship, philanthropy, science and engineering, educational studies, and so many more. Seeing the impact that my work has already had only further encourages me to continue pursuing my dreams of being a devoted educator. Within higher education, mathematics also remains a constantly evolving field, with new instruction techniques and applications being trialed regularly. I hope to engage in this academic discussion myself as I earn my degrees, and to provide ideas and conversations that may spark a new take on the implementation of math education throughout the field of higher mathematics. I intend for my understanding of math and its applications to pave the way for me to be an innovative and constructive face in the future of mathematics, and am excited to continue my education in order to reach this point. I truly believe that a firm grasp of mathematics is a life-changing understanding that all people should be given the opportunity to pursue.

In my academics and in my personal life, I have always had a passion for education, and a thrilling desire to know more. As I progressed through the educational system, I found a true love of mathematics and began to see all of the different facets of our life that math affects. As many math enthusiasts will tell you, math shapes the universe, it is in our DNA, in the structural composition of our molecules, and in the statistical probability of life existing at all. Math affects all aspects of the world in which we live and has consumed the minds of those who live on this planet long before any of us were ever here. Since discovering my love for math, I have been thoroughly involved in the effort to spread a deep and meaningful knowledge of the subject to all students in the educational system, or anyone else who is willing to learn. Since my sophomore year of high school I have been involved in organizations that offer tutoring and assistance in math-related studies. I have watched students in these scenarios earn their own love of the subject, and have watched as understanding allowed them to excel, both inside and outside of the classroom. Students who have truly taken to learning have opened up dream career paths for themselves and began to ask the questions that no one yet has, opening their own opportunities to shape the future. After having experienced these changes in the students I have tutored for the past 5 years, I knew that this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. For this reason, I am currently attending the University of Georgia as a straight-A student majoring in Mathematics Education and actively volunteering in the surrounding Clarke County in order to expand my reach and continue to help students learn and thrive. Students studying under me have graduated and started pursuing careers in all fields, including business entrepreneurship, philanthropy, science and engineering, educational studies and so many more. Seeing the impact that I have already had the honor of influencing only further encourages me to continue pursuing my dreams of being a devoted educator. In the educational field, I hope to be a resource to my students who is willing to assist them in their learning, their studying, their peer relationships, their future college and career endeavors, and their overall success in both high school and life. I intend to use my position as a member of the educational field in order to inspire those who will one day take my place, and further aspire to change the lives of those with whom I interact. Educators hold one of the most prominent roles in a child's life, and if I can provide both encouragement and education to my students, then I am in a position to turn lives around and turn even the most high-risk students into true leaders of tomorrow.

Through math, I have been able to connect with others and help them to better their lives, both academically, and extracurricularly. As I continue to pursue a presence within the mathematics field of study, I hope to be able to change lives with the knowledge that I obtain, apply, and disseminate. Further, I hope to be able to collaborate with other like-minded individuals to combine the efforts of analytical brains in order to advance the future in the most innovative and beneficial ways possible. Knowledge has historically brought people together, and I hope to continue that legacy with my presence in both the educational and mathematical fields. In goals that I have already begun pursuing, I hope to bring a new wave of mathematical appreciation into the public school system. I myself was involved in a math club and tutoring program for three of my high school years, and saw the impact that our club was able to have on the population of our school. Through the efforts of our club, students were able to engage with peers, develop a deeper understanding of math outside of the classroom, and to advance their academics in a positive direction, allowing them the freedom to pursue their own extracurricular passions. In my future school systems, I hope to implement this same form of peer engagement and academic advancement, as it provides a source of information that many students are never able to truly experience, and further provides a setting in which students are able to develop their social and leadership skills, resulting in a positive outcome for all students involved, and a deeper connectivity throughout the school population. Similarly, I intend to use my position as a member of the education field in order to inspire those who will one day take my place. In order to accomplish this, I believe that I must not only have a firm understanding of what I am fighting for, but that I must be assured in my endeavors both academically and emotionally. In educational psychology, it has been well studied and documented that teachers who care about student well being inside and outside of the classroom can largely impact the graduation rates of their students, especially those who are already considered high risk. In my future, I intend to be a resource to my students who is willing to assist them in their learning, their studying, their peer relationships, their future college and career endeavors, and their overall success in both highschool and life. Within higher education, mathematics also remains a constantly evolving field, with new instruction techniques and applications being trialed regularly. I hope to engage in this academic discussion myself as I earn my degrees, and to provide ideas and conversations that may spark a new take on the implementation of math education throughout the field of higher mathematics. I intend for my understanding of math and its applications to pave the way for me to be an innovative and constructive face in the future of mathematics, and am excited to continue my education in order to reach this point. I truly believe that a firm grasp of mathematics is a life-changing understanding that all people should be given the opportunity to pursue.

My name is Anna Deaton and I am a student from Winder, a small town in North Georgia. I grew up in a county of Title 1 schools and am now a current sophomore at the University of Georgia. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree with a major in Mathematics Education and a minor in Mathematics. Throughout my education, I intend to pursue a specialist degree and hope to become a teacher of the mathematics that I will be learning. I have always had a passion for math because it is so deeply ingrained in every aspect of our lives. Since I was a child, I have always found incredible interest and joy in discovering and sharing knowledge; whether through reading and enjoying stories, or by teaching and quizzing my little brother on the math that I was learning in school. Mathematics is the key to understanding the universe; it is in our DNA, in the structural composition of our molecules, and in the statistical probability of life existing at all. Through math, I have been able to connect with others and help them to better their lives, both academically, and extracurricularly. As I continue to pursue a presence within the mathematics field of study, I hope to be able to change lives with the knowledge that I obtain, apply, and disseminate. Further, I hope to be able to collaborate with other like-minded individuals to combine the efforts of analytical brains in order to advance the future in the most innovative and beneficial ways possible. Knowledge has historically brought people together, and I hope to continue that legacy with my presence in both the educational and mathematical fields. In goals that I have already begun pursuing, I hope to bring a new wave of mathematical appreciation into the public school system. I myself was involved in a math club and tutoring program for three of my high school years, and saw the impact that our club was able to have on the population of our school. Through the efforts of our club, students were able to engage with peers, develop a deeper understanding of math outside of the classroom, and to advance their academics in a positive direction, allowing them the freedom to pursue their own extracurricular passions. In my future school systems, I hope to implement this same form of peer engagement and academic advancement, as it provides a source of information that many students are never able to truly experience, and further provides a setting in which students are able to develop their social and leadership skills, resulting in a positive outcome for all students involved, and a deeper connectivity throughout the school population. Within higher education, mathematics also remains a constantly evolving field, with new instruction techniques and applications being trialed regularly. I hope to engage in this academic discussion myself as I earn my degrees, and to provide ideas and conversations that may spark a new take on the implementation of math education throughout the field of higher mathematics. I intend for my understanding of math and its applications to pave the way for me to be an innovative and constructive face in the future of mathematics, and am excited to continue my education in order to reach this point. I truly believe that a firm grasp of mathematics is a life-changing understanding that all people should be given the opportunity to pursue.

Jonah Luke John Elijah Black Silver Lock Gold Elena Lexi Tyler Mason Andre Vader Jericho Diamond Category 1; Bible Characters Category 2; Wrestling Names Category 3; Words followed by “smith” Category 4; Vampire Diaries Characters I chose these particular categories as they each highlight an area of my life in which I am passionate. Category one, Bible Characters, is representative of my faith, and the importance that it holds within my life. I am a firm believer that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and thus knowing the story of God is very important to me. Next, category two being words followed by “smith” reflects my hunger for knowledge. The history of the name Smith in the United States is often tied back to these much older trades, and this history, as well as many other facets of academia, are incredibly intriguing to me. Lastly, category three being Vampire Diaries Characters and category four being Wrestling names are both reflective of the importance of family in my life. This is because my father grew up watching and enjoying wrestling, and is quite knowledgeable about the subject, while me and my mother both love The Vampire Diaries, and often frequent Covington, GA in order to observe the places where the show was filmed. Further, each of these categories was selected for its ability to blend seamlessly in one or more words with the other present categories. It was my hope in creating this puzzle that a certain air of difficulty would be found, and false groupings would run rampant throughout the puzzle, encouraging solid thorough thought and a sense of accomplishment in completing the puzzle. Some false groupings which I would imagine might appear include the following: - Luke, Vader, Black, Silver - Jonah, Luke, John, Jericho - Diamond, Gold, Silver, Black - Andre, Tyler, Mason, Jonah These red herrings and false groups only continue to increase when one considers the number of partial groups which can be found within the puzzle that make complete and total sense. I hope that my puzzle creation has conveyed my sense of intrigue and wonder when it comes to the world of puzzles and knowledge, and that my categories help reflect my values as a person.

My name is Anna Deaton and I am a straight-A undergraduate student at the University of Georgia, currently entering my sophomore year. My intended major is Mathematics Education, which I will be applying to this upcoming fall semester. The impact from those in the educational field that I have seen in my own life and the lives of my peers inspires much of my ambition in my intended major. I myself am from a rural area of Georgia and attended Title 1 schools for the entirety of my K-12 education, and am excited to embark upon my journey as a female in a STEM major. In areas such as the one that I grew up in, access to equal education is a priority fought for each and every day. I have a personal ambition for mathematics in particular because of its notorious reputation within the American public school system. Especially in low-income areas, the understanding of concepts such as mathematics can pave roads for students to be on par with their future peers, and to have a plethora of future career options available to them. Even while still enrolled in public education, math, and a true understanding of the subject, can affect students' GPAs, their sports eligibility, their home life, and their happiness. For these reasons, I have spent the last 4 years volunteering in various schools across Barrow and Clarke counties, currently at Classic City High School, to help students understand and excel in math. I often tutor for one to three hours at a time, and in these situations, I have seen students’ entire semesters and education change for the better. By learning to be a well-educated and empathetic future educator, I hope to empower students by helping them to understand math, which will hopefully allow them to more fully experience the world around them, whether in a sense of sport and extracurricular involvement, or in a deeper knowledge of how the world works. Further, I intend to use my position as a member of the educational field to inspire those who will one day take my place. In order to accomplish this, I believe that I must not only have a firm understanding of what I am fighting for, but that I must be assured in my endeavors both academically and emotionally. It has been well studied and documented that teachers who care about student well-being inside and outside of the classroom can largely impact the graduation rates of their students, especially those who are already considered high-risk. In my future, I intend to be a resource to my students, willing to assist them in their learning, studying, peer relationships, future college and career endeavors, and their overall success in both high school and life.

Math is one of the most notorious subjects in education. In my experience with the subject, I have seen this area of study affect students' GPAs, their sport eligibility, their home life, and their happiness. For these reasons, I have spent the last 4 years volunteering in various schools across Barrow and Clarke counties, currently at Classic City High School, to help students understand and excel in math. I often tutor for one to three hours at a time, and in these situations, I have seen students' entire semesters and education change for the better. Not only is understanding empowering to students, but it allows them to more fully experience the world around them, whether in a sense of sport and extracurricular involvement or in a deeper knowledge of how the world around them works. Being able to help these students grow is one of the most rewarding experiences there is. Not only have these hands-on experiences inspired me to pursue a degree in education, specifically Mathematics Education, but they have also sustained me with a purpose and a drive to excel in the education of my future students. Further, in my own experiences as a student, I was largely inspired by my freshman and sophomore year math teachers. In that time I had three teachers who made a lasting impact on the trajectory of my life. Not only did I witness all three of these teachers go the extra mile in providing academic support to the students in their classes, but I also witnessed them take a true and vested interest in the general lives and success of their students as well. In my particular case, I had one of these teachers not only fight for me to be placed into the honors level of her class, which I had been told due to scheduling conflicts would be impossible, but also check in with me in the following years, always supporting my success. Further, another one of these teachers also went out of his way to provide me a place to study for the years that I did online dual enrollment. In my experiences with the education field, I have been inspired by the selflessness and the lasting impact that can be sustained through this career choice. In the future, I intend to use my position as a member of the education field in order to inspire those who will one day take my place. In order to accomplish this, I believe that I must not only have a firm understanding of what I am fighting for, but that I must be assured in my endeavors both academically and emotionally. In an educational psychology course that I am currently taking, it has been well studied and documented that teachers who care about student well-being inside and outside of the classroom can largely impact the graduation rates of their students, especially those who are already considered high risk. In my future, I intend to be a resource to my students who is willing to assist them in their learning, their studying, their peer relationships, their future college and career endeavors, and their overall success in both high school and life.

Every year when I was little, my parents would always take me and my brother to Toys R Us for our birthdays, and every year, my favorite part was the little Dumbo ride that cost a quarter to activate. I spent my time looking through all of the toys and trying my hardest to make my money go as far as possible. I have always been what some would call overly frugal, but it has always helped me feel in control. To know that I had the funds to do what I need to, and to make sure there is always some leftover in case something comes up in the future. Another monetary aspect that has always been prominent in my life is tithing. I grew up in church and would always see the tithing basket being passed around, and would always hear of all the good that those donations went to. I even started tithing for a short time when I was young, and at that point, I learned even more about my money. I learned about the 10% rule of tithe, and I learned that most people only save 20% of what is left over after tithe, but also would not have one thousand dollars to spend should an emergency occur in their life. My knowledge and concern regarding money from such a young age has always given me a drive. I worked for money when I was eight doing anything I could to help my family, whether that was cleaning up after and watching my baby cousin, or picking up limbs with my grandfather. With the money from this, I would finally be able to regularly tithe, to have fun experiences with my friends without feeling guilty, and to attend the college of my dreams and avoid leaving deep in debt. My academics have always been exceptionally important to me and the effort I have invested in them leaves me wanting to do as well as I can for myself in order to help others who are in need. My dream job has always been to become a teacher, and I would love to use the money earned from this scholarship to set me down that path to help other young developing minds find and cultivate their love of academics as my own teachers have done for me, and to help set their lives up for just as much success and valuable impact.