Hi! My name is Ayona Adekunle and I’m approaching my senior year at Green High School. Something about myself is that I absolutely love getting involved with my school, community, and church. Growing up in a Christian household as the second oldest of seven siblings, faith has always been something important to me. Knowing that I can have hope in something much greater than me, who loves me and has everything safely in His hands, gives me something to live for. Using the gifts that God has given me, I love to participate in the arts- band, choir, A capella, and musical theatre. I also love being a leader for others and am the president of my FCS (Fellowship of Christian Students) club, the president of my marching band, vice president of student council and a member of NHS. During the spring season, I enjoy running hurdles in track. Weekly, I compassionately volunteer for my church for the elementary kids ministries on Sundays and the middle school ministries on Wednesdays. Leading small group discussion during those times has especially encouraged me as I am getting to know the kids on a deeper level and help them with their walk with Christ! With my own relationship with Jesus, my main goal in life is that whatever I do, and whatever achievements I make, I may use it to glorify God and share the love of Jesus with others! As someone who has grown a deep passion for children, I especially want to be an example for them, reflecting Christ in everything I do. This passion for children gets solidified every summer when I volunteer as a camp counselor for my church. Camp has been something that has always inspired me as I am spending almost a full week with children from completed 3rd through 5th and helping them grow from just day one to six. The week is definitely not an easy one as obstacles occur along the way such as homesickness, drama between campers, and slowly lost energy from counselors throughout the week. But with these trials comes a learning experience leading to growth-not just from the campers, but from the counselors as well. It’s an honor every summer being an influence on these kids' lives. When a game is about to begin, it’s me that’s gotten to hype up and energize the campers. When campers have questions about their faith and what it means to have a relationship with Jesus, I have the privilege of having those deep conversations with them. When two campers are facing conflict with each other, it’s me that gets to help them navigate through their situation. These small steps I take in these kids’ lives are like tiny puzzle pieces being put together to create full, vibrant pictures. And experiences like these have continued to inspire me and are why I want to pursue higher education- to get a degree in Early Childhood Education in hopes to become a teacher someday! The idea of being able to cultivate growth in children beyond my highschool years as a teacher excites me. I’ve learned through camp that education isn’t just in passing on facts to the kids, but through actively guiding them through their steps as they fail, learn, and grow from it. And my hope is that my impact may lead to my students growing to the fullest. Through every curriculum, every lesson, and every assignment, I hope children may have an active learning experience out of it and grow into the beautiful human beings God created them to be!

I stopped what I was doing and looked around at what’s surrounding me. Laughter coming from the Gaga Ball pit, kids splashing each other in the lake as their joyous screams echo, others confidently building sand castles- these are the lively sounds defining my summers as a church camp counselor for children in completed 3rd through 5th grade. And in these distinct moments, witnessing the pure joy of God’s precious children has planted a seed in me to foster the next generation through Early Childhood Education. Growing up as the second oldest of 7 siblings, I’ve learned that leadership is all about being a light and influence in people’s lives. I've grown to love being a role model for others, especially younger children exploring their potential. When an opportunity arises to practice this, I jump right in. For example, every year when applications open to become a summer camp counselor, I eagerly sign up to volunteer. Why? Because every summer at camp, I get the opportunity to use my bright and outgoing personality to be a light in these kids' lives and help them grow as a person and in their walk with Christ. When playing sports games, I got to hype up the campers and loosen up the tension. When a kid was feeling homesick, I took the opportunity to start a small conversation with him on technology, taking his mind off of separation from home. When a camper was hesitant to go to the deep end of the pool, I encouraged her to build confidence. These small little steps I take in these kids' lives are like tiny puzzle pieces being built to create full, vibrant pictures. Watching them grow within just 6 days has inspired me, especially knowing I took part in influencing them throughout the week. This overall has solidified my desire to work with children beyond my high school years. Because of my profound passion for raising up the future generation and having an impact on them, I want to major in Early Childhood Education in hopes to become a teacher someday! My experiences have taught me that childhood education isn’t just about passing on facts but cultivating personal growth. This personal growth is not only in the kids, but myself as well, a lesson reinforced in my own high school academic life. As someone who gets herself involved in many school activities such as student council, musical theatre, band, and track, on top of academics, finding motivation to keep going is hard for me at times. It’s discouraging when completing everything seems impossible. But through this, it has taught me that the journey to completing these tasks is a learning experience. That education itself isn’t just about relaying information, but a process of growth. And I’ve seen myself grow tremendously through unsatisfied grades and performances in my extracurriculars that have challenged me to persevere and find other solutions to creating a different outcome. This mindset isn’t just in my academic life, but when I’m working with children. Greatly involved with my church, I volunteer for the youth ministries weekly. Every Sunday I work with the elementary school ministry called PowerKids for children in kindergarten through 5th grade. On Wednesdays I help out with the middle school ministries and lead small group discussions. And it’s not always an easy path. At times, it can be hard to connect with the kids, or grab their full attention when outside distractions conflict with them. But through every hiccup that occurs, I’ve learned how to navigate these difficult situations in the future. Growth is something I value tremendously. And my vision for helping children thrive through education is that through every curriculum, every lesson, and every assignment, they may have an active learning experience out of it. When conflict occurs between my students, I hope to assist in helping them build social-emotional skills, allowing them to have a healthy conversation in communicating their feelings. When a child is discouraged due to difficulty grasping a new concept, I hope to lift them up, building their confidence. And knowing that in pursuing Early Childhood Education one day I’ll be learning and growing alongside these children in different ways, excites me. What an amazing reward it is having the unique experience of watching how much everyone has grown over a year for the rest of my life!

Hello! My name is Ayona Adekunle and one thing about me is that I have 9 people in my family. Growing up in a chaotic, yet fun household, I’ve always enjoyed surrounding myself with a good community of people. And as the second oldest of 7 siblings, being an example for those younger than me has always been something I’ve loved. Not only am I the second oldest out of my siblings, but I am the oldest daughter overall. Through that, I’ve learned that my younger sisters look up to me a lot. Wanting to be a stronger role model for them, I got myself involved with ROX Leadership during middle school and my freshman year of high school. This club has not only helped me to build my confidence as a woman through sharing, problem solving, and interacting with other girls my age, but it’s helped me become a stronger leader for my sisters as I strive to encourage them in their journey as they age. In the future, I hope to get myself more involved in supporting women’s empowerment by joining clubs and programs in college that help equip me to influence other women like ROX Leadership did. Not only has having an impact on other women inspired me, but also influencing younger children. When an opportunity arises to practice that, I jump right in. For example, every year when applications open to become a summer camp counselor, I eagerly sign up to volunteer. Why? Because every summer at camp, I get the opportunity to use my bright and outgoing personality to be a light in these kids' lives and help them grow as a person and in their walk with Christ. When playing sports games, I got to hype up the campers and loosen up the tension. When a kid felt homesick, I took the opportunity to start a small conversation with him on technology, taking his mind off of separation from home. When a camper was hesitant to go to the deep end of the pool, I encouraged her to build confidence. These small little steps I take in these kids' lives are like tiny puzzle pieces being built to create full, vibrant pictures. Watching them grow within just 6 days has inspired me, especially knowing I took part in influencing them throughout the week. This camp experience has solidified my desire to work with children beyond my high school years. Because of my profound passion for raising up the future generation, I want to major in Early Childhood Education in hopes to achieve my dream job of becoming a teacher someday! Being a camp counselor has taught me that childhood education isn’t just about passing on facts but cultivating personal growth. Growth is something I value tremendously, and is the impact I hope to have on children. Through every curriculum, every lesson, and every assignment, I hope that children may have an active learning experience out of it and grow into the beautiful human beings they were created to be. When conflict occurs between my students, I hope to assist in helping them build social-emotional skills, allowing them to have a healthy conversation in communicating their feelings. When a child is discouraged due to difficulty grasping a new concept, I hope to lift them up, building their confidence. And knowing that in pursuing Early Childhood Education, I’ll be learning and growing alongside these children in different ways, excites me. What an amazing reward it is having the unique experience of watching how much everyone has grown over a year for the rest of my life!