One good teacher can flip someone’s whole world upside down. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher because I loved the idea of teaching students and changing so many people’s lives. As I grew older, I realized just how perfect the job would be for me. I find myself constantly teaching my peers how to do certain math problems or learn new things with music. People come to me when they need help, and it’s incredibly rewarding to help others and see them progress from just one small suggestion. My interest in education goes far beyond academics. I believe that education is not about filling students with information, but about helping students build confidence and discover their own potential. In my various leadership roles, people come to me for guidance, and I have begun to realize that they don’t always need an answer, but rather someone to listen to them or remind them that they are capable, and that I will always be there for them. Seeing them take this encouragement and run with it has shown me how easy it is to help people develop and how much I love the education field. There is no better way to positively impact both the emotional and academic growth of so many people. In the future, I want to contribute to student education by creating an environment where students feel safe and supported, and are always encouraged to ask questions and make mistakes. Another very important part of creating a comfortable classroom environment is understanding how students' mental health can affect their ability to learn and succeed. When students become anxious or overwhelmed, they often shut down and isolate themselves, which makes them unable to learn or grow. From my own experience navigating various focus problems, I’ve seen how meaningful a supportive teacher can be. I want my classroom to be a safe space for students to feel comfortable sharing this information in order to get the education they deserve. One very big thing that I plan on using in my classroom is music. Along with education, I am also majoring in music. I have grown up with music being a very big part of my life, and I have seen firsthand how impactful music can be to learning and expressing emotions. Listening to music has been shown to decrease levels of stress and anxiety, which creates an overall relaxed learning environment. Music is also very good for helping with focus and staying engaged. Music helps students stay attentive, on task, and take in new information. I plan on attending Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. I have been accepted into a 5-year master's program in secondary English education. Along with that, I am planning on majoring in music to get a BA and minoring in Spanish. My dream is to teach students in seventh to eleventh grade. These programs will provide me with the tools and perspective that I need to create a successful and supportive learning environment. I understand that people have many passions, and I hope to show students that they can do anything that they put their minds to. Through this career path, I hope to become an educator who inspires students to grow both inside and outside the classroom.

I’ve always known I wanted to be a teacher because I want to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. I recently decided on English, but there are still other thoughts in the back of my head. One path that I think of often isworking with ESL or ELL students. I love to learn about other languages and engage with students from various backgrounds. But the more I think about it, I become discouraged because my primary language is English, and I know a decent amount of Spanish from the classes I’ve taken in school, but I feel like that could never be enough to provide for these students in all of the ways that they deserve. My introduction to this world was not exciting in any way. I was talking to one of my old teachers about my plans, and they were voicing their opinions about how it can be very difficult to find a job in such broad fields as English education, and they mentioned trying things like ESL and ELL. I didn’t think anything of it in the moment, but later that day, I was driving my friend home, who happens to speak primarily Spanish and is in these programs. Over the next few days and weeks, the thought of ‘what if’ was constantly in my head. I realized how much my relationship with my friend was affected by these teachers and this program, and how much I had learned about patience and understanding just from our friendship, and it became so much more possible to me. I found myself googling about random different paths I could take and things that I could do in college to make this little dream a reality. Even as the possibilities grow, so do my doubts. As much as I think about this career, I think about how difficult it is to learn other languages and communicate with people when there is a language barrier present. I have never learned any language other than Spanish, and while I know that Spanish is very prominent, there are so many other languages to consider. How can one person learn it all? I fear so many things, and my biggest fear is trying and then letting down students who need me. When these fears arise, I think about how far my friend has come. When we met, he spoke very minimal English, but we still got through, and I learned so much from observing his experiences and growth. Through this, I realized that neither of us is perfect, but it's about the effort we put in to bettering ourselves and others While I haven’t fully committed to making this dream my reality, I am going to do many things to help me get there if that's the path I want to pursue. I am majoring in English Education, but I am also minoring in Spanish and participating in programs designed for ESL teachers. While this dream feels out of reach right now, I know that whatever classroom I end up in will be safe and supportive for students of any background.