My name is Audrey Crews and I am currently a sophomore at the University of South Carolina Aiken. When I was in high school, I took a total of eight dual enrollment courses during my junior and senior year. Being involved in rigorous courses while also being a part of six clubs, marching band, and winter guard, along with having a job, taught me the importance of hard work. I was also taught that kindness meant seeing the potential in everyone and offering the patience, understanding, and encouragement they need to succeed. Dual enrollment made me understand that there were high expectations I had to meet. I was just not a high school student who could slack off in my free time, I had my college GPA to think about. I was given the opportunity to take these courses with no cost because of the SC Lottery Tuition Fund. I took subjects like English, sociology, psychology, education, and math. I found much success in these courses and it opened up many new possibilities when I was trying to figure out what major I wanted to pursue. Through my educational psychology practicum, I was able to gain hands-on experience with classroom management and understanding the way that many young students think. One of my biggest struggles I had to overcome was the increase of workload. Most of my previous academics had never challenged me. When I received my first college writing assignment with a requirement of at least four pages, I was in shock. There was a short time constraint, and I felt the whole world on my shoulders. Thankfully, I continued moving forward and each assignment reduced the feeling on my shoulders. I learned how to manage more rigorous coursework while giving attention to all of my responsibilities and making sacrifices when needed for the best interest of my success. It was far from an easy journey because I was faced with illness, a loss in my family, being diagnosed with a disability, and becoming a caretaker. I struggle with transitions, so being given the opportunity to begin my college journey earlier made my freshman year go smoother academically. I did not have to worry about building studying skills or deciphering a college assignment for the first time because I already had those tools from my dual enrollment experience. When deciding on a college, I needed to pick the most affordable school. This is due to paying out of my own pocket. I am currently majoring in Special Education with a goal of working in the public school system of South Carolina. I did not pick this career for monetary benefits. I picked this career because of my passion for helping individuals with disabilities. I want my future students to feel seen, supported, and capable. Through my dual enrollment education courses, I was given the confidence to pursue a passion I had hidden my whole life. The opportunities I received through dual enrollment showed me what is possible when students are given support and encouragement. As a future special education teacher, I hope to provide that same encouragement to my own students so they can recognize their potential regardless of the challenges they face.

“Small steps still eventually reach the finish line.” This quote captures exactly why I want to become a special education teacher. It reminds me that success looks different for everyone, and progress is still meaningful, no matter how slow. I want to be the kind of educator who walks alongside students on their journey and helps them reach their goals one step at a time. My passion for teaching started at an early age. My mother is an elementary school teacher, and growing up, I saw firsthand what it meant to care deeply about students and their growth. Watching her plan lessons, talk about her classroom, and celebrate student successes inspired me to consider the career of a teacher. As I got older, I realized how much I enjoyed helping others understand material. If I grasped a concept, I wanted to help someone else get there too. That feeling of being able to explain, encourage, and make learning a little easier for someone else stuck with me. The moment my passion became more focused was when my nephew was diagnosed with autism at around age three. Seeing him start school and receive the support he needed opened my eyes to what special education could do. With the right teachers, therapies, and care, he began to grow physically, cognitively, and emotionally. School became a place of transformation for him, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that process for other children. During my senior year, I enrolled in Teacher Cadet and had the opportunity to be placed in two self-contained special education classrooms. One had students from kindergarten through second grade, and the other had third through fifth. It was in these classrooms that I truly saw what it takes to be a special education teacher. I worked directly with students, adapted materials, and helped personalize goals to fit each child’s needs. I learned how to communicate in different ways, how to celebrate all progress, and how to adjust in the moment. These experiences confirmed that this is the path I want to follow. I am currently studying at the University of South Carolina Aiken as a Special Education major and plan to teach in the state of South Carolina after graduating. In my freshman year, I have already had two more placements in elementary and middle school settings. I work as a mentor alongside the LIFE program, which is a postsecondary program for adults with intellectual disabilities to learn how to live independently. What drives me most is the desire to help students who may not believe their goals are achievable find their own way to success. I believe that every child is capable of learning and growing when they are given the right support. Sometimes it is not about catching up to everyone else, it’s about moving forward, no matter where you are starting from. Becoming a special education teacher is not just a career goal for me, it is the result of a lifelong journey shaped by personal experience, family influence, and meaningful hands-on learning. From watching my mom teach, to supporting my nephew with autism, to working in real classrooms, I have seen the life-changing power of patience, encouragement, and personalized support. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps students believe in themselves and take pride in every step forward because every step, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating.

“Small steps still eventually reach the finish line.” This quote captures exactly why I want to become a special education teacher. It reminds me that success looks different for everyone, and progress is still meaningful, no matter how slow. I want to be the kind of educator who walks alongside students on their journey and helps them reach their goals one step at a time. My passion for teaching started at an early age. My mother is an elementary school teacher, and growing up, I saw firsthand what it meant to care deeply about students and their growth. Watching her plan lessons, talk about her classroom, and celebrate student successes inspired me to consider the career of a teacher. As I got older, I realized how much I enjoyed helping others understand material. If I grasped a concept, I wanted to help someone else get there too. That feeling of being able to explain, encourage, and make learning a little easier for someone else stuck with me. The moment my passion became more focused was when my nephew was diagnosed with autism at around age three. Seeing him start school and receive the support he needed opened my eyes to what special education could do. With the right teachers, therapies, and care, he began to grow physically, cognitively, and emotionally. School became a place of transformation for him, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that process for other children. During my senior year, I enrolled in Teacher Cadet and had the opportunity to be placed in two self-contained special education classrooms. One had students from kindergarten through second grade, and the other had third through fifth. It was in these classrooms that I truly saw what it takes to be a special education teacher. I worked directly with students, adapted materials, and helped personalize goals to fit each child’s needs. I learned how to communicate in different ways, how to celebrate all progress, and how to adjust in the moment. These experiences confirmed that this is the path I want to follow. I am currently studying at the University of South Carolina Aiken as a Special Education major and plan to teach in the state of South Carolina after graduating. In my freshman year, I have already had two more placements in elementary and middle school settings. I work as a mentor alongside the LIFE program, which is a postsecondary program for adults with intellectual disabilities to learn how to live independently. What drives me most is the desire to help students who may not believe their goals are achievable find their own way to success. I believe that every child is capable of learning and growing when they are given the right support. Sometimes it is not about catching up to everyone else, it’s about moving forward, no matter where you are starting from. Becoming a special education teacher is not just a career goal for me, it is the result of a lifelong journey shaped by personal experience, family influence, and meaningful hands-on learning. From watching my mom teach, to supporting my nephew with autism, to working in real classrooms, I have seen the life-changing power of patience, encouragement, and personalized support. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps students believe in themselves and take pride in every step forward because every step, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating.

I am new to being a fan of Wicked. I did not grow up a fan of the musical Wicked, but when the Wicked movie came out, I was captivated by the storyline. I had always been a fan of the Judy Garland version of Wizard of Oz, so it felt cool that this storyline was happening before and concurrently with Wicked. It gave me a new perspective of the classical movie. I found connection through becoming a fan of Wicked. I am surrounded by many people in my life who also share a love for the movie. I saw Wicked for the first time the day after Christmas in 2024 with my mother and Wicked: For Good the day before Thanksgiving of 2025 with my best friend. Both of these experiences in the movie theater are remembered with great enjoyment because I was together with those I loved. It felt like a personalized experience even though there were others in the theater around me. Glinda and Elphaba's friendship represent how a relationship can evolve and survive through difficult times. They never forgot about each other, and it shows how valuable their connection was with each other. I find that kind of friendship inspirational because I have always dreamed of having a type of friendship that can "defy gravity."

In recent years, there has been an emphasis on bringing mental health issues to life. Even though I am only eighteen years old, I still have spent most of my life dealing with mental health struggles. For a long time, I thought I was broken and the only person my age dealing with these intense feelings. As I went through high school, I discovered that I was in fact not alone in my struggles. Other people had dealt with similar issues, but nobody talked about it. Everyone felt isolated, but it turns out everyone was going through the same things in silence. I never thought I could be helpful to anyone struggling with mental health until one of my friends brought it up that I was unintentionally doing so. She referred to me as a sunflower because when the world goes dark, I produce a light that people turn to me to share my light with them. It was a small analogy, but it brought such a deep meaning into my life. It brought me great joy to be able to help people navigate through their challenges with a sense of hope. As a child I had a hard time imagining a positive future for myself. It was not until I was a senior in high school that I felt called into a career field. I want to be an educator, but specifically to children with special needs. This is rooted in my dream to make each student who walks into my classroom feel supported, encouraged, and capable of achieving their goals. I want my students to know that I always have my heart and ears ready to listen to them. I know some children do not have the best support systems in their home lives, but as soon as they walk into the school doors, I can be someone in their corner fighting and advocating for them. If I receive this scholarship, I will use it to continue to help my peers and students find the light inside of them.

My fangirling began at a young age. I was in the second grade whenever I watched the series premiere of Girl Meets World on Disney Channel. I immediately fell in love with Sabrina Carpenter. Whenever I found out she wrote songs on YouTube I would watch her videos and dance around in my mother's classroom to the pass the time as she graded papers and attended meetings. I struggled with social anxiety and Sabrina's songs helped reassure me that it was okay to be myself because "You Can't Blame a Girl for Trying." I never stopped listening to the music Sabrina Carpenter released and I would watch every acting role she had no matter what the movie or show was about. My parents knew who she was because I talked about her so frequently. When I was in elementary and early middle school, Sabrina was not a super well-known figure, so she was personal to me. Listening and watching her gave me confidence to begin to speak up more at school and share my passions with others, just like how Sabrina was sharing her passions with the world. Whenever I got into high school, the music that Sabrina was releasing changed its style, but I also changed as well. I was able to relate to her songs about relationship issues because I was juggling my feelings about experiencing my first romantic relationships. The sense of comfort I found in her music at a young age was still there. It was cool to see how she began to rise in popularity because I was able to connect with others about my fangirling about Sabrina Carpenter. As I saw videos of her touring, I was able to see the light that her presence brought to others. It was inspiring and motivated me to be a person who was inclusive to everyone and made others feel seen around my high school. Even though Sabrina Carpenter has grown a major fanbase, she will always be a celebrity that influenced me my entire childhood as I found my place in the world and went through relationship challenges. I am glad that I have been touched by her work along with many other people all around the globe.

From a young age, school was the place where I thrived. I loved learning, asked questions eagerly, and often helped classmates who were struggling. Yet, despite my success in the classroom, I never felt like I fit in socially. I was shy, quiet, and often kept to myself because I was unsure of how to connect with my peers. For a long time, I felt invisible, which was not because I lacked ability, but because I lacked confidence. Over time, I realized that my shyness gave me a unique perspective. Instead of being the loudest voice in the room, I became a good listener. Instead of rushing to speak, I paid close attention to others and found ways to support them. I found myself becoming a leader through lifting others up, making them feel capable, and leading with empathy. Being quiet and reserved transformed from a weakness into one of my greatest strengths. It allowed me to notice when others felt left out, overlooked, or discouraged, because I had felt that way myself. I wanted to encourage others who doubted their own potential. As this passion grew, I realized that I wanted to become a teacher, specifically a special education teacher. My nephew was diagnosed with autism at an early age, and I witnessed how he struggled to navigate in a world that does not always understand his needs. Through supporting him and celebrating his progress, I was able to see how important it is for children with disabilities to have teachers who believe in them. This became more real when I spent my senior year field experience in an elementary special education classroom. Being able to see students learn in their own ways and watching teachers adapt lessons to meet individual needs, confirmed my desire to pursue this career. My nephew was the spark, but the classroom experience was the affirmation that special education is where I belong. Alongside my academic journey, I have also carried significant responsibilities at home. From helping with meals and chores, to stepping in when my family needed extra support, I learned how to manage my time carefully while keeping school a priority. There were moments when I felt like I had too much on my plate, but those experiences taught me how to adapt, stay organized, and persevere. Balancing was a challenge, but it gave me resilience and a deep appreciation for the opportunities education can provide. Receiving this scholarship would not only ease the financial burden of pursuing higher education, but it would also allow me to focus on my goal of becoming a special education teacher. This support would give me an opportunity to continue being a leader within my school and bring me one step closer to the classroom. I may have started my journey as a shy student who blended into the background, but I hope to end it as a teacher who ensures every child feels valued, understood, and capable of success.

“Small steps still eventually reach the finish line.” This quote captures exactly why I want to become a special education teacher. It reminds me that success looks different for everyone, and progress is still meaningful, no matter how slow. I want to be the kind of educator who walks alongside students on their journey and helps them reach their goals one step at a time. My passion for teaching started at an early age. My mother is an elementary school teacher, and growing up, I saw firsthand what it meant to care deeply about students and their growth. Watching her plan lessons, talk about her classroom, and celebrate student successes inspired me to consider the career of a teacher. As I got older, I realized how much I enjoyed helping others understand material. If I grasped a concept, I wanted to help someone else get there too. That feeling of being able to explain, encourage, and make learning a little easier for someone else stuck with me. The moment my passion became more focused was when my nephew was diagnosed with autism at around age three. Seeing him start school and receive the support he needed opened my eyes to what special education could do. With the right teachers, therapies, and care, he began to grow physically, cognitively, and emotionally. School became a place of transformation for him, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that process for other children. During my senior year, I enrolled in Teacher Cadet and had the opportunity to be placed in two self-contained special education classrooms. One had students from kindergarten through second grade, and the other had third through fifth. It was in these classrooms that I truly saw what it takes to be a special education teacher. I worked directly with students, adapted materials, and helped personalize goals to fit each child’s needs. I learned how to communicate in different ways, how to celebrate the smallest progress, and how to adjust in the moment. These experiences confirmed that this is the path I want to follow. What drives me most is the desire to help students who may not believe their goals are achievable find their own way to success. I believe that every child is capable of learning and growing when they are given the right support. Sometimes it is not about catching up to everyone else, it’s about moving forward, no matter where you are starting from. Becoming a special education teacher is not just a career goal for me, it is the result of a lifelong journey shaped by personal experience, family influence, and meaningful hands-on learning. From watching my mom teach, to supporting my nephew with autism, to working in real classrooms, I have seen the life-changing power of patience, encouragement, and personalized support. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps students believe in themselves and take pride in every step forward because every step, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating.

“Small steps still eventually reach the finish line.” This quote captures exactly why I want to become a special education teacher. It reminds me that success looks different for everyone, and progress is still meaningful, no matter how slow. I want to be the kind of educator who walks alongside students on their journey and helps them reach their goals one step at a time. My passion for teaching started at an early age. My mother is an elementary school teacher, and growing up, I saw firsthand what it meant to care deeply about students and their growth. Watching her plan lessons, talk about her classroom, and celebrate student successes inspired me to consider the career of a teacher. As I got older, I realized how much I enjoyed helping others understand material. If I grasped a concept, I wanted to help someone else get there too. That feeling of being able to explain, encourage, and make learning a little easier for someone else stuck with me. The moment my passion became more focused was when my nephew was diagnosed with autism at around age three. Seeing him start school and receive the support he needed opened my eyes to what special education could do. With the right teachers, therapies, and care, he began to grow physically, cognitively, and emotionally. School became a place of transformation for him, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that process for other children. During my senior year, I enrolled in Teacher Cadet and had the opportunity to be placed in two self-contained special education classrooms. One had students from kindergarten through second grade, and the other had third through fifth. It was in these classrooms that I truly saw what it takes to be a special education teacher. I worked directly with students, adapted materials, and helped personalize goals to fit each child’s needs. I learned how to communicate in different ways, how to celebrate the smallest progress, and how to adjust in the moment. These experiences confirmed that this is the path I want to follow. What drives me most is the desire to help students who may not believe their goals are achievable find their own way to success. I believe that every child is capable of learning and growing when they are given the right support. Sometimes it is not about catching up to everyone else, it’s about moving forward, no matter where you are starting from. Becoming a special education teacher is not just a career goal for me, it is the result of a lifelong journey shaped by personal experience, family influence, and meaningful hands-on learning. From watching my mom teach, to supporting my nephew with autism, to working in real classrooms, I have seen the life-changing power of patience, encouragement, and personalized support. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps students believe in themselves and take pride in every step forward because every step, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating.