I am interested in art education because I thrive in chaos and mess, especially the kind that comes from a room full of children. I am an instructor at Glen Ridge Taekwon-do, where most of my time is spent teaching children aged four to six. I have been formally employed as an instructor for a bit over a year, but have been volunteering since I was nine. Further, I have run private lessons and built relationships with young girls, including the daughter of a black belt mom and master instructor dad. I volunteer as a coach at every tournament and encourage students at every promotion test. From a young age, I have been acting in the role of teacher and cheerleader and have learned just how wonderful children are. I am in awe of the joy and curiosity of children. I am inspired by the way they always want to know “why?” I am motivated by the excitement they have over the little things, things I often brush past. They remind me just how beautiful life is. However, I also understand how difficult teaching can be. Children aren’t happy all the time; sometimes, they need extra support and care. They don’t always behave and don’t always listen. Sometimes, there will be rough days. Even on those difficult days at the Taekwondo school, when students aren’t listening, when I am frustrated and tired, I still feel joyful. It is an honor to be the one to help kids learn and grow, especially on hard days. It is exciting to problem solve, coming up with new ways to teach that are more engaging. When students aren’t listening, it is often simply because they are under-stimulated and can't focus, so I create new ways to reach them. It’s exhilarating when I find a method that works, a method that turns those rough days into ones of learning and growth. I am interested in pursuing education because I love kids, on the good days and the bad. I am interested in art education because art turns the bad days to good. I know this from experience. Art is a form of education and activism. As someone with mental health struggles and ADHD, I want to be an advocate for people with similar conditions. Because of what I call my “funky” brain, my outlook on the world is often different than that of my peers. Where others walk, I run. Where others go slow, I go fast. My brain works at rapid speeds, coming up with millions of thoughts and ideas all at once, only to forget them seconds later. The worst part, though, is not these tendencies themselves, rather, it is the loneliness and isolation I have felt because of them. I thought that no one else had a “funky” brain like mine. However, in recent years I’ve discovered dozens of social media accounts run by people with ADHD who share their experiences with the public. In reading their posts, I feel less alone. As a future art teacher, my goal is to show students that they aren’t alone either. In order to make that dream a reality, I intend to get my degree in art education from The College of New Jersey. I will take full advantage of the school’s focus on hands-on learning and field experience because I cannot wait to be with the students. So, why do I want to be an art teacher? Because art education is the intersection of all my passions: art, working with children, and advocacy for people with “funky” brains like me.